


More Than Human

by Viana19



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Partners to friends to lovers, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 12:13:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 49,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11509200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viana19/pseuds/Viana19
Summary: Three months after Tsunemori had stopped Kogami from shooting Makishima Shogo, they're still on the lookout for the madman. A new Inspector has joined Division One, with a past that holds ugly secrets, and Kogami can't help but be intrigued by her indifference to societal trends. However, when Makishima rears his conniving head out of hiding, she realizes her newly peaceful life is soon to be shattered, especially now that she has loved ones in her life.





	1. Prologue

“What is she? She nearly killed a person and her crime coefficient is zero!” Tsunemori is nearly screaming by this point. Half of her still can't believe she's yelling at a bunch of moving brains and the other half of her is hysterical and so close to jumping off the deep end.

 

“We regret the inconvenience, but she is as human as you are,” replies the omnipresent voice of Sibyl. It echoes off the walls of the vast domed room. It’s so calm, Tsunemori wants to hurl something at it.

 

“Is she… Is she like _him_?”

 

“Yes.” There’s a silence. The mechanical sound of the system continues. It doesn't care for Tsunemori's problems.

 

“I don’t want her part of my division. I don’t want her to be a part of the MWPSB. I don’t want her anywhere near Kogami or myself!”

 

“That is not possible.”

 

“Make it possible, goddammit! If… If Kogami finds out, he’s going to kill her!”

 

“She was made a part of the MWPSB after coming to a negotiation with us. She is asymptomatic like us and Makishima Shogo. We wanted her to become a part of us after revealing ourselves to her, but she refused and threatened to lay waste to us if we forced her onto us. However, she understood the necessity of the Sibyl System in this world and we came to an agreement; she would work for the MWPSB if she wanted to be no part of us. She ranked her life above the Sibyl System, but she knew we would stop at nothing to have her.”

 

“Assign her to a different division then. Kogami _will_ kill her,” Tsunemori argues, her teeth clenched.

 

“We assure you, he will not find out about her. Go back to your duties as if nothing happened. You are the only one who knows that she tried to kill someone without her crime coefficient being affected.”

 

“I just can’t go back to my duties as if nothing happened. I can’t.”

 

“You will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The start of something new!
> 
> This is just the prologue and it's very short, but keep on reading for the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current series of events will take place three months after the ending of season 1 of Psycho-Pass.
> 
> This is an AU where Kogami never shoots Makishima and never escapes in the end. Instead Makishima escapes. Kagari and Masaoka are still deceased as they were in the anime. The Psycho-Pass season 2 storyline has not taken place yet and Shimotsuki Mika has not joined the MWPSB yet. Ginoza is still an enforcer, as shown at the end of season 1. Because each inspector usually has two enforcers underneath them, Togane Sakuya will be omitted from this series and Kogami will take his place since I believe Kogami would’ve easily found out Togane’s plans for Tsunemori; Hinakawa Sho is the fourth enforcer for Division 1.
> 
> Each new chapter will start with a flashback.

_“You and I, we do not fit in this world. Sibyl has made sure of that.” His voice is like velvet and you can feel his warm breath against the shell of your ear. His long fingers are delicately brushing your hair behind your shoulder and it feels like a ghost’s embrace. It’s strangely comforting and hypnotizing._

_“Why?” Your voice is unwavering under the gaze of this angelic man._

_“She’s afraid of the power we have to create change. She wants to extinguish us like a flame running out of oxygen.” His fingers brush your neck and a shiver runs down your spine. “But you and I can change that. We are the same, rejected by the Sibyl System. We’re cut from the same cloth that will smother Sibyl and suffocate her until she can no longer cling to this world.”_

_“What makes you think I’ll help you?”_

_You can hear the smile that curves his lips. “Because Sibyl has made you feel like an outcast your entire life. She’s made you feel like you don’t belong and this world doesn’t need you, and you want revenge, don’t you?”_

_“I do.”_

_Makishima’s smile grows. “I’m so glad I found you, [Name].”_

 

* * *

 

You wake with a start to the incessant ringing of your MWPSB communicator, cold sweat drenching your upper body.

“Not that dream again,” you mumble groggily to yourself as you blindly slap your bedside table for your watch. You answer with a tap of your finger. “Mm? Inspector [Last Name] speaking.”

“[Last Name]-san, I’m so sorry for calling you at such a late hour, but there’s an urgent situation. Please come at once to the location I’ve sent you,” says Tsunemori.

“Mm, it’s alright. I’ll be there in ten,” you reply.

You take the quickest, coldest shower to rid yourself of the sweat and slumber on your body and dress in a simple white, button down shirt, black trousers and a black blazer with a pair of heeled boots and a beige trench coat to protect yourself from the midnight chill. Grabbing your car keys from the table, you head down to the basement of the MWPSB headquarters before making your way towards Tsunemori’s location.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, [Last Name]-san,” Tsunemori greets you.

You smile at her as you slip your hands into the pockets of your coat. “It’s my job. So, what’s the situation?”

“We’ve got a hit and run on our hands. The suspect is 26-year-old Shintaro Yusei.” She shows you an image of the man in question on her communicator. “He tried mugging an old lady and it went south from there. He attempted to grab her purse after bumping into her, but instead she fell and hit her head on the sidewalk and died on the spot. We’ve confined him to a one block radius, so he must be hiding somewhere close by. We’ve evacuated all personnel to prevent an area stress level increase. He’s trained in martial arts, so please cautiously find him and do the necessary.”

“Of course.” You step over to the carrier drone and withdraw a Dominator, allowing it to authenticate your usage of it. “But how has he been able to avoid cymatic scans from street drones if he always had an intent to commit a crime?”

“We don’t know.”

“You don’t think this has anything to do with…?” you trail off.

Tsunemori smiles sadly. “I’m afraid it might, but for now, our sole concentration is to find Shintaro Yusei and subdue him. Kogami-san and Kunizuka-san are already out looking for him. You’re in charge of them. I will be with Ginoza-san and Hinakawa-san. Good luck, [Last Name]-san.”

“You, too, Tsunemori-san. And please,” you slip your Dominator into the holster strapped to your back, “stop using honorifics with me. I’m not any bit above you as a colleague.”

“Ah, sorry. I keep forgetting,” she apologizes. “Contact me if you get any intel about Shintaro’s whereabouts.” And with that she’s off.

“Kunizuka, do you have anything on Shintaro?” you ask as you tap your communicator as you briskly run along a deserted alley that connects to several others.

“No. I just finished going through a few buildings and there’s no one here,” she replies.

“Do you have a twenty on Kogami?”

“No. We went separate ways. He stopped all communication five minutes ago.”

“Dammit. What was Tsunemori thinking by letting him out of her sight. He’s already tried to run away once, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, but, to be honest, I don’t think he’d take this as an opportunity for that.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” You shrug to no one in particular. “I’ve only known the guy for a month. Either way, contact me if you find anything on Shintaro. I’ll be looking for Kogami before he does something rash.”

“Understood.”

The screen from your watch flickers off and you withdraw your Dominator. It isn’t long before you hear movement up ahead just around the corner. You cautiously approach, Dominator outstretched in front of you, and just as you turn the corner, it’s kicked out of your hands. You curse as another kick is aimed at you and you block it with your forearms. That’s going to bruise quickly. You’re just about to swing a well-timed punch when you stop short upon seeing who it is. Of course that doesn’t stop your attacker from taking advantage of your cease of assault to swing his own punch at you, which you swiftly block as well.

“Kogami, stop. Stop! It’s me. It’s [Last Name]. I’m not Shintaro,” you half yell at him.

His next punch stops half way between himself and your face. “Shit,” he swears. “Didn’t realize it was you, Inspector.”

“Maybe if you respond to your communicator you would know my whereabouts,” you begin as you bend down to pick up your fallen Dominator. “Do you have any-”

“Sh-shit! They found me. I’m dead. I’m a dead man!” you hear a masculine voice say just above you to your right.

Your eyes travel upward and land on Shintaro, who’s leaning out a window as he looks down at Kogami and you. Cursing under your breath, you hold up your Dominator in his direction, but he’s already disappeared behind the ledge.

“Kogami-san, block his exit route. I’ll pursue him into the building,” you instruct.

“Understood,” he replies and dashes down the way he came.

Not seeing the entrance to the building anywhere close by, you notice a first floor window open. With a bit of quick footwork, you use the momentum from a run up to rebound off a dumpster and boost yourself to the ledge of the window. Parkour may be decades old, but it sure comes as a handy skill. Your fingertips grip on the window pane and you hoist yourself in.

“Tsunemori-san, follow the directions to my location. Shintaro is in the building. I’m in pursuit,” you speak into your communicator after dialing Tsunemori.

“Okay. We may not reach in time. Please do the needful, [Last Name]-san,” she replies before you end the call.

With your gun outstretched in front of you, you slowly make your way through the building. “Kogami, do you have a twenty on our suspect?”

“No, I’ll tell you if I- Shit! He’s on the roof! He’s trying to see how he can escape from there. I’ll make sure he can’t reach the ground. Pursue him at the top,” he responds.

“Alright,” you say as you dash up the stairs to the fourth floor.

He’s barricaded the door leading out to the roof, so you point your Dominator at it.

_“Target’s Threat Judgement has been updated. Enforcement mode: Destroy Decomposer. Target will be completely eliminated. Please be careful.”_

Pulling the trigger, the door and some of the surrounding wall implodes into ashes and you step through.

“Shintaro Yusei, drop any and all arms you may have and surrender,” you call out.

You proceed further onto the roof just in time to watch Shintaro make the jump from one roof to another. You curse under your breath for the millionth time that day.

“Kogami, he’s using the roofs to escape. Keep a watch on him in case I lose him,” you call as you run across the roof and leap onto the next.

“I can see him switching roofs. I’ll try to keep an eye on him, but I can’t see much from down here.”

“I can’t get a good shot up here. He’s moving around too much.”

“Try to get him down. He’ll be confined to the alleys.”

“Alright.”

You give chase, never getting a good shot as he hides between objects and equipment placed on the roofs. “Shintaro Yusei, stand down! We have you confined to a one block radius. You have nowhere to go.”

“No. He’ll come for me. He promised to protect me. He’ll come for me,” Shintaro laughs deliriously before darting out from behind a water tank and running to the fire escape.

“Who are you talking about?” you ask, running after him.

“As if I’d tell you,” he yells, jumping onto the fire escape. He nimbly scrambles down and you follow.

“Kogami, where are you? He’s on the fire escape,” you call out.

“I’m on my way,” he responds on your communicator.

Shintaro is fast, his feet hitting the ground as you move from the second floor down. You make the rash decision to jump just as Kogami rounds the corner onto your alley.

“Are you crazy?” he yells as you descend through the air.

You hit the concrete hands first and roll into a crouched position before standing. “No, not really.” Then you take off after Shintaro with Kogami right behind you.

You find him at the back of a dead-end alley. He’s breathing heavily and has no weapon on him.

“So, is your guy still coming for you?” you ask, Dominator aimed in his direction.

_“Target’s Threat Judgement has been updated. Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator. Please aim carefully and eliminate the target.”_

The fear is apparent on his face. “No, don’t shoot! You don’t understand. I’m a victim here. Makishima is the one you really want. He was the mastermind of this whole thing!”

You hear Kogami tense next to you. His grip on his Dominator tightens.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” you say to Shintaro. “We’ll get to him, too.” You pull the trigger.

 

* * *

 

“I’d like your report on the events that took place today when you come in for work tomorrow,” Tsunemori informs as you stand outside the building you’d first seen Shintaro in.

“Of course,” you reply. “Have a good night, Tsunemori-san.”

She watches you walk away as Ginoza comes to stand next to her.

“Inspector Tsunemori, there’s something I’d like to speak to you about regarding Inspector [Last Name],” he begins.

“Go on.”

“There’s something… off about [Last Name]-san, don’t you think?”

Tsunemori turns to look at Ginoza, her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“She’s only been on the job for a month, yet she was experienced from her first day. It’s not something you expect from a newbie. She handles situations a little too well.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’d like us to keep a closer eye on her. I feel like she’s hiding something.”

“I respect your insight on these kinds of things. We’ll keep a watch on her from now on.”

“Understood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's that. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
> 
> Psycho Pass has to be one of my all time favorite animes. It's just so different from anything I've watched and it's so enigmatic. And of course Kogami is downright sinful. ;)
> 
> Comments are always appreciated as I love to know what you thought about the fic and what you liked and didn't like.


	3. Chapter 2

_His arms are around yours and his hands cup your smaller ones, a gun in your grip. His mouth is next to your ear and each time he speaks, his lips brush against your skin._

_“Now slowly exhale and squeeze the trigger,” he instructs._

_You do as told and the bullet flies from the gun and hits the bullseye square in the middle._

_He kisses you on the jaw. “Good job.” Releasing you from his embrace, he steps back, his arms crossing over his chest. “Now, do it again.”_

_You rinse and repeat the whole process over and over until Makishima is satisfied._

_“You learn fast, [Name],” he says after the target has been sufficiently brutalized._

_He moves over to where you’re standing as you place the gun on the table and hooks a finger under your chin to pull you in for a kiss. It’s hot and hungry and a little too intoxicating. He gently bites down on your lower lip before pulling away._

_“Now,” he purrs. “Time for live targets.”_

 

* * *

 

“He actually said Makishima’s name?” Tsunemori clarifies after she goes through your statement again.

“Yes,” you reply, hands clasped together in front of you.

She curses softly under her breath. “He’s always one step ahead of us.” She looks up at you from her chair. “Was Kogami-san with you when he took his name?”

“Yes.”

“How did he react?”

“He tensed up a bit, but didn’t react rashly.”

“Good. He’s keeping his head on his shoulders.”

“By the way, where is he?”

“At the gym with Ginoza-san. Knowing Kogami, he’ll be taking out his frustration on just about anything if it’s really bugging him. Would you go check on them for me, please?”

You make a face and Tsunemori laughs.

“I’m sorry, but please relieve Ginoza-san from combat practice if he seems at his limit. I don’t want him to over work himself. In fact, stop both of them if you can.”

“Alright.” You walk off to head to the gym on the fortieth floor and enter to find Kogami and Ginoza sparring to the nines.

Both are breathing heavily and sweating profusely. You can tell both are at their limits and you’re pretty sure a normal female would faint from the amount of sheer testosterone emanating from them.

“How long have you two been at this?” you ask, arms crossed over your chest.

“Not too long,” Kogami replies, not even bothering to look your way as he swings his leg through the air.

“About an hour and half now,” Ginoza corrects, ducking to dodge the kick.

“Not too long, my ass,” you retort at Kogami. “Now both of you guys stop sparring or you’re gonna pass out.”

“Just a little longer,” Kogami says.

Ginoza rolls his eyes.

“Look, if you’re not gonna stop, I’ll knock both of you on your asses and drag you to the men’s locker rooms,” you threaten.

“Half an hour more,” Kogami says.

“Half an hour isn’t a _little_ longer. Jesus Christ, you’re gonna work yourself dead. Now stop sparring.”

He ignores you as he tries to headlock Ginoza. You’re now a little irritated and the fact that he’s blatantly ignoring you isn’t helping. You snap. Thank God you’re wearing pants or you wouldn’t have been able to pull off your next move. You take a run up towards him before leaping into the air and locking your legs around his neck, executing a flying triangle choke. He barely even has time to react to wrap his arms around your back as your body weight pulls him head-first to the floor. You twist forward once down and pin his arm to the ground. Ginoza is left with his mouth slightly ajar.

“Now,” you smile sweetly, “Would you like me to repeat that or are you going to stop sparring?”

“We’ll stop,” he groans, clapping his free hand against your leg to let you know to let go.

“Good,” you chirp and release him from your leg choke. You rise into a standing position. “Now both of you go take a shower and go home. We’re done for the day.”

“I didn’t know you had that in you,” Ginoza says as he grabs a towel from the nearby cubby holes.

You shrug. “The things you learn when you have a brother who was crazy about wrestling in high school.”

“I didn’t know you have a brother.”

“I mustn't have mentioned him before,” you brush off, walking away. “And if I come to know you two continued sparring after I leave, you’re in trouble.”

 

* * *

 

“Then she performed a flying triangle choke like no big deal. I would never had expected it from her,” Ginoza says.

“Well, she has been very good in the field. It comes as no surprise to me. Besides, you did say she said she has a wrestling obsessed brother,” Tsunemori counters.

He takes a swig from his drink. “Don’t you think you’re taking this situation regarding [Last Name]-san a little too cooly?”

“It’s my job to see a situation from each and every angle. I’m just weighing each option.”

“Besides, I didn’t even know she has a brother. Could you look it up on her profile?”

“Ah, sure.” Tsunemori puts down her drink to use her communicator to check through your information profile. “That’s weird. There’s nothing on her.”

“What do you mean?” He stands to move over to where she’s sitting on his couch.

“It’s just the very basics about her. Her name, date of birth, gender, et cetera. There’s nothing about her family or her place of birth or anything more.”

He peers down at the little screen from her watch, his finger trying to scroll, but there’s no more information to show.

“Seriously, Inspector Tsunemori, there’s something she’s hiding. We definitely need to keep a closer eye on her,” he says with finality.

 

* * *

 

There’s a buzz at Kogami’s door and he moves to open it.

“Inspector [Last Name],” he greets with a hint of surprise.

“Um, hi. I just came to apologize for putting you in a chokehold earlier today. Are you okay?” you ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Though it’s rare for an inspector to show kindness to an enforcer.”

You shrug. “Well, we’re all humans in the end.”

“A lot of people don’t share your views. Would you like to come in?”

“If it’s okay with you.”

He moves to the side to let you enter and you look around at his living quarters as you step in.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asks, moving to his fridge.

“Uh, sure. What do you have?”

“Water, some apple juice, red wine, and some whiskey and scotch Gino gave me.”

“I don’t think it’s wise for an inspector to drink at the MWPSB headquarters,” you say.

“Well, you’re not on the job right now, are you?” he smirks.

You smile in defeat. “Alright, I’ll take a scotch on the rocks.”

Kogami’s eyebrows rise in mild surprise, but he begins to pour you a glass all the same. “Rough day?”

“Kinda. This Makishima guy is really getting to me. I don’t have a past with him like the rest of you do, but from the way you guys react to the mere mention of his name tells me he must’ve done something pretty horrible. And then to run into some guy he’s strung into his plan.”

“Nobody’s briefed you on him, yet?” He hands you your drink and sits on an adjacent couch.

“Thanks. And, no, nobody’s briefed me and all the files on him are locked.” You take a sip of your drink.

“Makishima Shogo is someone… who must not be allowed to exist in this world.” Kogami’s hand tightens around his own drink.

“What… What has he done, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“That man is responsible for the death of two enforcers in our division and an enforcer who used to be under my supervision when I was still an inspector.”

You can see a muscle in his jaw jump. “I didn’t know you were an inspector previously.”

He laughs without humor and his grip on his drink loosens. “Ah, yeah. You’re new here, so you mustn’t have known. It was actually the death of Sasayama , the enforcer under my watch, that clouded my hue and resulted in my demotion to an enforcer.” His grip tightens again and continues to as he keeps talking. “I still regret not having been able to prevent his death and find his killer at the time.”

“Kogami-san,” you caution.

“He was under _my_ watch. I should’ve kept an eye on him.”

“Kogami-san.”

“It was my job as an inspector to not let him out my sight. It was my job to find his killer and I couldn’t do either.”

“Kogami-san!” you yell.

The glass in his hands shatters, shards scattering across his lap and falling to the floor. He swears and rises to his feet. “Sorry. I’ll just clean this up. Give me a minute.”

You nod, allowing him to find a small dust pan and broom and clean up the small mess of glass fragments. “Careful. You’re barefoot.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry,” he brushes off, sweeping up the last of the pieces and discarding them in a trashcan. He sits back down and sighs. “Sorry about that. I just-”

“It’s okay. I understand. Anyone in your situation would get agitated while talking about something like that. Tell me about Sasayama. You seem like you were quite fond of him.”

He chuckles. “Yeah. He was an asshole and people loved him for it,” he begins.

You listen silently as he talks about the former enforcer and as he recounts all the good times he had with him. You can see the genuine smile slowly creeping on his face, even if he’s aware of it or not.

“He sounds like a great guy. I would’ve loved to have known him,” you say after Kogami’s finished.

“Nah, he would’ve grabbed your butt more times than you’d be grateful to know him,” he replies. He notices your drink is over and stands. “Would you like a refill?”

“Ah, no, thanks.” You place your glass on the center table and rise, too. “I think it’s about time I get going.”

“You live in the building, too, right?”

“Yeah. Can’t find a place of my own, sadly. Everything good seems to have been taken already. Or maybe I’m just picky, who knows,” you shrug with a lopsided smile as you move towards the entrance. “But thanks for talking to me. It was nice to hear about Sasayama.” The door slides open and you step out before turning around to look at him. “I’m here if you ever need to talk again.”

“Yeah, thanks. Good night, Inspector [Last Name].”

“Good night, Kogami-san. And you know you don’t have to call me Inspector all the time, right?” you call as you walk away.

He smirks as he watches you leave. You’re a piece of work if you can be so down to earth, yet execute a flying triangle choke like nobody’s business.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure that’s her?” Makishima asks, idly playing with his cut-throat razor as he peers at the photograph lying on the desk.

“You’d be the better judge of that. You’ve known her for a good amount of time.”

“True. And she’s working with the CID for the MWPSB?”

“Yes.”

“With Kogami Shinya?”

“Yes.

Makishima laughs in delight. “Well, isn’t that perfect? Things just got so much more interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally have some Reader-Kogami interaction. Hope you like it!


	4. Chapter 3

_There’s a force of attraction that is absolutely undeniable radiating from Makishima and you realize this after your first week of living with him. It’s in your second week that you give up any and all denial towards said attraction and simply accept it. He kisses you in the middle of your third week and the gravitational pull you feel from him only increases from there on out._

_Maybe if you stay blissfully ignorant it would continue like this; a world where only Makishima and you exist with a plot to release the country from the clutches of Sibyl. It was almost like you’re been brainwashed._

_Makishima did not think there was anyone he could fall in love with and be truly happy with, yet here you are, proving his thoughts wrong. You’re someone just like him; someone unrecognized by Sibyl. Someone who does not fit in, just as he does not._

_Sometimes he’s afraid to even touch you. Afraid his hand will go right through you and you’ll disappear, becoming a mere memory to him and finally proving he might actually be insane. At the same time he wants to keep an iron hold on you. He doesn’t want you to leave him; he doesn’t want to be all alone again._

_He kisses you roughly at half past midnight sometimes just to remind himself that you’re his; to remind himself you’re real, and also just because he can and he loves kissing you. He loves leaving you breathless at quarter past one in the morning. He loves feeling how fragile you are beneath him, but he knows you’re toughening and soon he’ll feel the muscle in your limbs. He’s scared you’ll realize you’re strong enough without him one day and he wants you to stay fragile, but at the same time, he knows you have to strengthen to carry out your anarchic plans with him._

_Makishima realizes he’s in love with you not too long after you do; sometimes you’re more intellectual than him and it puts a wry smile on his face. He tries his best to deny his feelings, but he’s already caught in the web you’ve unknowingly strung and frankly, he doesn’t want to get out._

_Makishima Shogo is in love, and he feels vulnerable for the first time in his life._

 

* * *

 

“It’s the third case like this in the past three weeks,” Tsunemori says.

Hinakawa is busying himself with trying to not puke while he looks everywhere, but at the body.

“Middle-aged female raped, tortured and then asphyxiated. Then hung by the wrists from the top of a building during the middle of the night for the world to wake up to the next morning and create an area stress level increase,” Ginoza sums up.

“With the words, ‘YOU’RE NEXT,’ written on the torso,” Kogami adds.

“Who would do such a thing?” Kunizuka asks with horror.

“That’s our job to find out,” you say as levelly as you can, but you’re seething inside.

The whole crime is a message to the public: Nobody is safe. It’s an easy and quick way to get the people to panic and maintain a constant unhealthy stress level.

“Get the body down, so we can open up the area to the public again, and send it for an autopsy,” you instruct Hinakawa who’s operating the medical drones. “I want to know everything, down to the minutest of details. We’re going to find this bastard before he can strike again.”

 

* * *

 

“If we’re to look at the past three incidents, each crime took place once a week, but never on the same day,” Ginoza states.

“Most crimes don’t take place within such short spans of time because the suspect usually takes time to plan out his or her actions,” Kogami adds, arms crossed over his chest.

“Which means we’re looking at someone with an above average mind and thinking skill,” you conclude. “Someone who’s smart enough to plan all of this and execute it without leaving a trace of himself.”

“We need to find out how he’s not been caught by street scanners. His psycho pass must be well above 300 by now,” Tsunemori says, her chin resting upon her folded hands as she sits at her desk.

“He could just be avoiding them,” Kogami suggests. “If you stick to back roads and side streets, there would be no scanners to come across.”

“Yeah, but you’re missing the fact that when he hangs up his victims, he has to come into contact with at least one scanner, especially when he’s using buildings that often garner a lot of attention. For example, his past victims were each strung from a conglomerate building, a mall and a five-star hotel,” you counter.

“So, we can narrow down his next location, but that’s still a lot of buildings to keep an eye on,” Ginoza says.

“Maybe we can assume that he won’t use the same type of building twice. So we can eliminate conglomerates, malls and hotels,” Tsunemori adds.

“So, we’ve got schools, apartment buildings, and what else?” you ask before thoughtfully biting down on your lower lip.

“Ministry of Welfare buildings. I wouldn’t put it past him to go that far, especially if he’s trying to boast about the fact that he’s evading us,” Kogami says.

“Yes, but if we have to wait for him to string up his next victim to catch him, we’ve already lost,” Tsunemori argues before her communicator starts to chime. “Ah, Karanomori-san is calling.”

“Autopsy results are in. You guys might wanna come down here,” Karanomori says.

Once you all move downstairs, she grimaces at her screens as she brings up the data. “This has to be the worst case I’ve seen since The Specimen Case,” she states with a frown before moving onto the results. “It’s the same MO. First raped, then tortured, almost to the brink of death, and then asphyxiated. He’s left no traces of himself. He’s completely cleaned up his semen from her vagina and he’s burned off the skin around her neck to cover any, if at all, fingerprints he may have left while strangling her. He’s left no bodily fluids and there was nothing left behind at the crime scene either. It’s spotless.”

Your fists tighten at your sides. “We have to find something- _anything_ before he strikes again.”

“I agree,” Tsunemori says. “What’s the age range of all the victims?”

“First was 32. Second was 26. Third was 39,” Karanomori replies. “There’s no consistency, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Jobs?” asks Ginoza.

“Hotel manager, personal assistant and nurse, respectively.”

“M-mode of transport?” Hinakawa asks.

“Car, train, car.”

“Bring up their physical and medical profiles,” Kunizuka says.

“There’s no consistency or similarities between them,” Karanomori replies, but brings them up on the screens anyway.

“How about-” begins Kogami, but you interrupt him.

“We’re getting nowhere with this!” you suddenly yell. “It has to be something deeper. Something not so obvious or something we don’t have any data on. If we keep asking questions that are so point blank, we’ll never get anywhere. It’s late and your minds aren’t working when we’re trying to overwork them. Go home and take a break so we can come back tomorrow and figure out new ways to look at this case. We have till Sunday before he might attack again. That’s just three days.”

Ginoza is about to argue, but Tsunemori speaks first. “[Last Name]-san is right. Today was a stressful day. Go home and get some rest so we can work tomorrow with clear minds,” she dismisses everyone.

You sigh in relief, not being able to take thinking about the case for a minute longer, and walk out. You find yourself in the building’s gym two hours later, looking to distract your mind. You’ve changed into leggings and a sports bra and have a droid set to it’s highest fighting level. It’s in the middle of sparring with it that you get distracted by someone walking in and get punched in the shoulder by the droid.

“Son of a bitch!” you hiss as you fall backward and land painfully on your butt.

The droid stops moving automatically and you groan as you massage your shoulder, which is bound to turn purple and blue within the next hour.

“You okay?” asks a voice and you look up to see Kogami in all his shirtless glory, his arm outstretched as he offers you a hand.

You take it and he helps you up. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little bruised, that’s all. What are you doing here? It’s literally one-thirty AM,” you say with a glance to the clock.

He shrugs. “I don’t sleep much. Besides, I hadn’t fit in a training session today, so I thought I’d come up here. What about you?”

“Couldn’t sleep. My brain is just overthinking this case and I needed a distraction.” You bend down and pick up the device to restart the droid. Just as you’re about to get a good kick in, it stops. You frown and glance over at Kogami. “Now, don’t you tell me to stop and go home. I’m not going to get sleep either way.”

“I was actually going to ask you if you want to spar with me,” he says with a half smile.

You straighten up. “Oh. Yeah, sure,” you shrug.

You re-tie your hair as he puts away the droid and get into stance once he returns.

“So, what’s your style of fighting?” you ask as he slowly advances and jabs a punch towards your face. You block it with your right forearm and hold his arm steady with your left as you swing a kick towards his head.

He blocks with his left hand before hiking it under your leg. Realizing what he’s trying to do, you clasp your right hand around the arm under your leg as he adds his second hand under your leg to hoist you in the air. You curse and interlace both hands behind his head, allowing him to lift you off the ground so you can lock your legs around his neck in a chokehold. He wraps his hands around your thighs in an attempt to stop you, but you let your upper body bend back to the ground as you twist right and use your legs to fling him to the ground.

He lands in a roll and you hit the floor in a crouch.

“Silat,” he replies as he stands.

You brows furrow and you rise to your feet, too. “Never heard of it. What is it?”

“A martial-art. What about you? What’s your style?” He swings his leg through the air and you parry it with your forearm. He uses the same leg to aim multiple kicks at you and you swiftly dodge them all.

You shrug as you wait for his next move. “A little bit of this, a little bit of that.”

He swings a punch and you parry that too with your hand before swiping at him with your other arm. He grasps your outstretched arm and twists it outwards and your make a sound of pain before using the heel of your free hand to strike him in the face.

He teeters back a few steps and then comes at you again with a punch. You move slightly out of the way, letting your palm take the impact of his punch as you trap his right hand and hit him in the face again with your free fist. He lessens the force of your hit by getting his left hand in between your fist and his face, but it still hits him all the same and he stumbles back again.

He doesn’t attack again for a moment as he tries to figure out why fighting you feels so familiar and you stay your ground, giving him time to recuperate.

Then it suddenly clicks. The last time he fought someone like this, it was Makishima. “You… Your fighting style…”

Your hands drop to your sides as realization hits you like a freight train. Makishima taught you how to fight. Kogami has fought Makishima before. Your fighting styles were the same and Kogami was smart enough to realize this.

“I think it’s getting a little late,” you say. “And I’m getting a little tired.” You move to the cubby holes where a towel lies. Grabbing it, you smile. “Thanks for helping me stay distracted, Kogami-san.”

You walk off, leaving Kogami to wonder what had just happened and if he was imagining things.

 

* * *

 

It’s been five days since the last murder and currently a Monday. You’re in a new week and you still haven’t found the culprit or any clues regarding to the case. The next murder will happen soon and it’s seven in the morning and you’re sleeping.

The previous few nights were a nightmare, with no leads on the case, and it’s finally taken a toll on you, seeing as you were completely knocked out when your alarm went off.

You groan in annoyance, slapping a hand over it as you glare at the sun splitting through the gap in your curtains. You’re glad Sibyl had at least granted you a room with windows when they said you can only live at the MWPSB headquarters and nowhere else, but sometimes the sun just sucked.

You slowly slip out of bed and sit on the edge, yawning as you stretch. You get up and quickly set the coffee machine for brewing in your kitchen before going back to your room and throwing open the curtains.

And then you scream.

Hanging in front of your window, facing you, is a body strung up by it’s wrists, with the words ‘YOU’RE NEXT’ painted on the torso.

You fall backwards, scrambling behind until your back hits your bed, your eyes huge and terrified.

This is different from his MO. The body usually faces the public so they can read the words written on the abdomen, but this is directed towards you, and you know exactly why.

Makishima has found you.


	5. Chapter 4

_There’s a rustle of sheets and Makishima’s hand slides across your stomach as he turns in his sleep. Goosebumps dash across your skin and you press your lips together to stop yourself from giggling, but the softest of snorts escapes and he cracks an eye open._

_“What’s so funny?” he asks, sleep heavy on his words._

_“You are.” There’s a flatness to your voice and it adds to your subtle teasing._

_“I am?” He quirks an eyebrow._

_“Your face is.” It’s the lamest comeback you can think of, but it spills off your tongue anyway._

_“Is it?” His arm around your waist tightens, daring you to further your teasing._

_Your teeth sink into your lower lip to prevent yourself from saying something you’ll regret and his eyes flicker down to them before looking back into your eyes._

_“Nothing to say, hmm?” he asks, a smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips._

_“Your face is what memes are built upon,” you blurt._

_“I’ll keep that in mind the next time you’re smothering it in kisses,” he smirks, before trapping your wrists behind your back and kissing you senseless._

 

* * *

 

Breathe. Breathe. This is just Makishima trying to get to you. Calm down. Breathe.

Rising to your feet, you walk to the kitchen and down your coffee. You sigh, throwing your head back as you run a hand through your hair. “Breathe, [Name].”

You fetch your communicator from your room, avoiding the urge for your eyes to travel to the body hanging in front of your window, and move back to the kitchen.

Tsunemori picks up on the third ring. “Mm… [Last Name]-san, is it time for work already?”

“There’s been another murder. Come as fast as you can to my room at headquarters,” you say.

The change in her tone is immediate. “Understood. I’ll be there in ten.”

You only have a thin, loose tank top on and a pair of panties, so you slip into a pair of sweatpants and a bra as you call Ginoza.

“Inspector [Last Name],” he answers, but you can still hear sleep underlying his words.

“There’s been another murder. Come to my room on floor 26, room 2608.”

“Your room? But why?”

“Don’t ask. Just come and you’ll see.”

Ginoza assumes the worst and hangs up.

Kogami is already awake when you call him. You can tell by the way he’s breathing, short and ragged like he’s been working out. “Inspector [Last Name], what is it?” he asks.

“There’s been another murder. Come to my room on floor 26, room 2608,” you repeat.

“Your room? Wh-”

“Don’t ask why. Just come up.”

Next is Kunizuka and you’re greeted by Karanomori’s voice in the background.

“Who is it calling at such an unearthly hour?” she grumbles.

“It’s quarter past seven. It’s not that early,” Kunizuka replies. “What is it, Inspector [Last Name]?”

“Another murder. Come to room 2608 on floor 26.”

“Understood.” She hangs up.

Last is Hinakawa.

“I-Inspector [Last Name], am I late for work?” he asks once he picks up.

“No, but there’s been another murder. Come to room 2608 on floor 26 as fast as you can.”

“O-okay,” he replies.

Ending the call, you sigh, running your hand through your hair again. You need to smoke. Rummaging through your cabinets, you curse; you’re all out. You don’t smoke often, but only when you’re a little high-strung and about to lose it. So instead, you go and brush your teeth.

Ginoza is the first to arrive and you lead him to your room. He’s about to ask you a question when your door buzzes again. It’s Kogami and Kunizuka and you let them enter.

“Do you have a cigarette?” you ask Kogami as you walk them to your room.

“You smoke?” he asks with an eyebrow raised.

You enter your room and he stops dead in his tracks as he looks out your window.

“Just when I get too stressed out,” you reply, rubbing your upper arms with your hands.

He holds out his pack. “Take as many as you need.”

“Thanks.” You take one and he hands you his lighter. Shoving the cigarette between your lips, you light it before taking a long drag.

Tsunemori and Hinakawa arrive at the same time and once again the latter does his best not to puke after seeing the body.

“We were too late,” Tsunemori says, gritting her teeth as she stares out the window.

“But why [Last Name]-san’s window?” asks Ginoza.

“And why facing inwards rather than outwards?” Kogami adds.

Ginoza turns to face you. “Do you think it’s a message directed towards you?”

“It’s a taunt, I think,” you reply, lying blatantly through your teeth when you know the real reason. “That we couldn’t stop him in time. He’s mocking us. He must have found out we’re working the case and that my room has windows and targeted me because of that.”

“Why not Inspector Tsunemori’s apartment, then?” counters Kogami.

You glance at him. “She might be next, for all we know.”

“We can discuss this later. Let’s get an examination of the crime scene and get the body down so it doesn’t have to hang in front of [Last Name]-san’s window anymore,” Kunizuka says.

“Leave the string from which the body is hanging from. I want to go check out the place where our perpetrator had been,” you instruct.

It takes half an hour for the drones to completely scan the area outside your window and get the body in and out of your flat. All of the enforcers go back to their respective living quarters to shower and get ready for the day except for Kogami, who stays back with Tsunemori.

“Why don’t you two head on up,” you say, running a hand through your hair for the umpteenth time that day. By this point you look like a squirrel has made a home out of your head. “I’ll just take a shower and join you.”

“Are you sure? We can stay here until you finish, if you like,” Tsunemori offers.

Smiling in reassurance, you insist, “No, that’s alright. Start working on the case. I’ll be up in fifteen.” With that, you walk to your room to take a shower.

Once you’re gone, Tsunemori turns to Kogami. “Stay here till she’s ready and accompany her up.”

“I thought she told us to head upstairs without her,” Kogami replies.

“I know, but I don’t want her to be alone after experiencing something like that. I’ll take my leave now.”

Kogami makes himself comfortable on your couch and lets his eyelids slide shut while you stand under your shower-head, scalding water rolling down your back as your mind runs at a hundred miles per hour.

You’d always known this day would come, you just didn’t think it would be so soon. You’re not prepared, is all you can think. You’re very aware of all the ways he can attack you, mentally and physically, and quite frankly, he’s doing the former right now. He knows all your vulnerabilities and weaknesses, not to mention he also knows how to turn your own mind against you.

You’ve finally found a place you’ve been able to call home for the past three months and people who’ve come to accept you, even if they don’t know who you really are, but it’s the best you can ask for in such circumstances. You can’t lose them just yet, and you know Makishima will go after them just to instigate you.

It’s all a little suffocating and overwhelming, so you turn the faucet all the way to cold and scream at the top of your lungs. After all, there’s no one to hear you, right?

You’re shivering and frozen to the bone by the time you exit the shower, a towel wrapped around your body and another lying atop your head, which you use to rub at the water drenching your hair. A glance at the clock tells you that you have five minutes to get ready and head up, but first you need some searing hot coffee, because, frankly, that cold shower was a mistake.

Throwing the towel for your hair aside, you exit your room and then stop when you realize there’s someone on your couch, his grey eyes staring at you.

Your eyebrows raise minimally and you blink in mild surprise. “Well, thank God I decided to put on a towel. Could you brew some coffee for me, please?”

He blinks. “Sure.”

“Thanks.” You walk back into your room.

You get dressed in formal work attire in under a minute and exit your room again, your blazer and coat under your arm. There’s coffee in the pitcher on your kitchen counter and Kogami is still on the couch as if he never moved.

“I thought I asked you to go up,” you say, stirring sugar into your coffee.

“Inspector Tsunemori asked me to stay and accompany you up,” he replies.

“Would you like some coffee? You did make it after all.”

“Sure.”

“Sugar?”

“One spoon.”

“Milk?”

“No, thanks.”

You walk over to him and give him his coffee before taking a seat on the couch adjacent to him and taking a sip from your own mug. “I must look pathetic to you right now; screaming in my own shower like a lunatic,” you say with a satirical smile as you gaze at the inky pool of brown in your cup.

He drinks slowly from his mug and then looks at you. “I think you’re entitled to it after what’s happened to you today. It’s better to let it out rather than bottle it up and have your psycho-pass turn cloudy as a result.”

Your eyes flit up to meet his and you give him a half smile. “Thanks.” Tilting your head back, you down the rest of your coffee and rise to your feet. “We better get going or we’ll be late.”

You deposit your mug in the sink and grab your blazer from the back of the couch while Kogami finishes his coffee.

“You can just leave your cup on the counter,” you say as you slip your feet into your boots.

“No, that’s alright.” He rinses his mug with water and places it in the sink next to yours.

“Thanks,” you smile again, untucking your hair from under your blazer.

You exit your apartment, Kogami falling in step beside you as you make your way to the elevator, riding it all the way up to the fiftieth floor.

“I thought I told you two to leave so you could begin work on the case,” you say upon entering. “My mental well-being is not as important as the case.”

Tsunemori sighs. “Now don’t treat yourself like that. I’m only concerned about you.”

“I literally walked out of my room in just a towel because I thought I was alone and found Kogami-san was on my couch,” you say matter-of-factly.

Colour floods her cheeks and her eyes widen in shock and embarrassment. “Oh.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Sorry. Next time I’ll warn you.”

“So, what do we have on our victim?”

“Karanomori-san still has to get back to us with the results. She should be calling anytime now.”

“Okay. You wait on that. I’m gonna go up to the roof and check the place where the cable was used to string up our victim,” you say, shrugging your coat on.

“I’ll go with you,” Kogami says, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair.

“Let me know if you find anything. I’ll wait for the others and then head down to the lab. Meet us there,” Tsunemori informs.

You nod in response and head to the lift with Kogami, taking it to the roof.

There’s a crisp chill in the air despite the sun’s rays having full reign without any clouds. Your bare hands find refuge in the pockets of your coat while you walk the expanse of the roof, eyes scanning for the anchorage of the rope; Kogami searches the half of the roof you’re not on. There are various instruments bolted down to the roof and you haven’t the faintest idea what they do, but they’re huge and look important; maybe for ventilation and other related stuff, you think.

You’re about to move on, when it catches your eye; a thick cable hooked to one of the important looking instruments which reaches up to your waist.

“Kogami-san, over here!” you call out, not even bothering to look in his direction as you inspect the cable.

You’re sure there mustn’t be a fingerprint to be found, but you’ll send it to the lab anyway. The cable itself is sturdy and of good material, made sure not to snap or give way. It’s connected to a carabiner which is shackled to a handle on the instrument which is making a low humming sound.

Kogami is just a few meters away when you notice the roll of paper curled around the top of the cable near the carabiner. You quickly unfurl it from the cable, making sure your fingers don’t touch anything that will go to the lab later.

' _I hope we meet soon,_ ' it reads in an elegant scrawl, a small winking face drawn at the bottom.

Kogami is only several feet away now and you inconspicuously shove the small piece of paper into your coat’s pocket.

“Are you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” he questions.

You smile half-heartedly. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’m just gonna take a walk around the area to see if our perp left anything behind, which I seriously doubt. You can take a look at the cable if you want, then we’ll head back down.”

You leave him to examine the cable while you move away. With shaking hands, you extract the note from your pocket and read it again, and again, and again, until all you can think of is when your path will cross with this murderer.

You nearly jump out of your skin when Kogami’s hand touches your shoulder; thank God you’ve put the slip of paper back into your pocket.

“I didn’t find anything. What about you?” he asks.

“Nothing. I didn’t expect him to leave behind anything anyway.”

“Let’s go back down, then.”

The rest of the enforcers are there when you reach Karanomori’s office and the whole place smells of smoke. There’s a blown up image of the victim on the screen with a list of results to the right of it.

“She was just eighteen,” she says as you and Kogami enter the room. “The poor thing.”

“Anything of importance from the results?” Tsunemori asks.

She shakes her head, blowing out a puff of smoke. “Nothing. It’s just the same as the rest of the victims.”

“Wait, you said she’s eighteen, right? Could you check if she was living alone or with her parents,” you inquire.

Karanomori’s fingers fly across the keyboard. “Living with her parents.”

“Send their contact number to my phone. I’m going to pay them a visit. Maybe they’ll know where she was before she was kidnapped.” You shrug back into your coat. “Tsunemori-san, could you please accompany me. You have a way with comforting people that I don’t.”

“Of course.”

It isn’t long before you’re sitting in the quaint apartment of a couple who have red, puffy eyes and are subduing their crying as best as they can.

“We’re so sorry to ask you these questions after you’ve just received such devastating news, but it will help us catch the person who’s responsible for your daughter’s death,” says Tsunemori.

The man gives his best attempt at a smile, which isn't much, to say the least. “We understand.” His voice shakes and he pauses. “What can we tell you?”

“We were wondering if your daughter had told you of her whereabouts before she disappeared,” you inquire. “Is there a place she was visiting quite frequently recently or a place in general she liked to go to?”

“Fortunately, our daughter was quite open with us,” the mother confesses. “Recently, there'd been a place she'd liked to go to. It was a place we were very against because of its shadiness, but she was adamant since she claimed the place lifted her spirits and made her feel alive. She said it’s a place where there are no cymatic scanners and that allowed people to be a bit free and let loose a little. Once we saw how happy she was after visiting the place weekly, we were a little less against it, so we didn't reprimand her from it.”

“Do you know the name of this place or the type of place it was?” you ask.

“If I remember correctly, it was a club called Pandemonium. I'm sure if there's anything related to her kidnapping and murder, it has to be that place.”

“Thank you so much for your time and cooperation. We’ll keep you updated with how the case goes,” Tsunemori says with a polite smile.

The both of you stand and exit the apartment, finally having something go on for your investigation.

You arrive at the MWPSB headquarters twenty minutes later, asking Karanomori to look up the club and any security cameras around the area and their footage for the nights before the murders. She confirms all four victims were heading to the club the night before the crimes and that they were frequent visitors to the club.

“This is how our perpetrator has been choosing his victims,” you state when you're back at the office on the fiftieth floor. “It's the only thing that links our victims together and it would be a perfect place to scope out people with no cymatic scanners around.”

“So now we just have to figure out a way to infiltrate the club to find our suspect without getting caught as policemen,” Ginoza says.

“W-We could use holograms,” Hinakawa proposes.

“No, the club has scanners for that,” says Tsunemori. “The idea of the club is to be your true self and let loose.”

“We could go looking like normal, everyday citizens,” suggests Kunizuka. “We just have to put on some makeup to alter our appearances.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Tsunemori agrees. “Now the question is who goes. I think it would be better to just have two people inside with the rest on standby.”

“I'll go,” you say, knowing you'll have to face your inner demons some day or another. Besides, if this guy is really targeting you, you don't want anyone getting caught in the middle.

“Okay, [Last Name]-san and who?”

“I could go,” says Ginoza.

“Your metal arm may stand out. After all it's MWPSB issued,” counters Kunizuka.

“Then I'll go,” Kogami says.

“Alright then. [Last Name]-san and Kogami-san, the two of you will go to Pandemonium tomorrow night and scout out who might be our perpetrator,” Tsunemori finalises.

“Understood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Reader and Kogami going to a club to hunt down a killer. What could possibly go wrong?


	6. Chapter 5

_“Why are we doing this again?” you ask, an eyebrow arched underneath your blindfold._

_“To teach you how to cook,” Makishima replies._

_“Well, excuse me, but I cook just fine,” you retort._

_“Sweetheart, you nearly killed Choe Gu-Sung with your last attempt at a meal.”_

_“Oh, please. He overreacted.”_

_“I dare say not. Now eat this.”_

_Something warm and soft meets your lips and you open them, allowing Makishima to feed you._

_“Pasta,” you say. “Definitely pasta.”_

_“Yes, but what type of pasta and what sauce?”_

_“Penne, and can I have another bite?”_

_He feeds you some more._

_“Okay, that’s definitely your world famous pesto sauce, am I right?”_

_There’s a chuckle. “Right.”_

_Next is soup and bread, and with each food item, Makishima asks you more questions about the ingredients and how it’s made._

_“Good,” he finally says after ten minutes of food tasting and questioning. “Now, how about this?”_

_A finger tilts your chin up and a pair of soft lips meet yours. You hum in approval and his teeth nip at your lower lip before he runs his tongue along the reddening skin. He pulls away and you slip the blindfold off your head._

_“I think I need another taste of that,” you smile coyly._

 

* * *

 

“I can’t fight in this,” you state flatly, your eyes gazing down at your body.

“Well I’m not going to let you go to a club in a pantsuit,” Karanomori chastises. “You’d look so out of place. Besides, you have such a nice butt, might as well show it off.” She dusts off your backside for added emphasis.

You roll your eyes. “Hands off the merchandise.”

“I think I did a good job of dressing you up, if I do say so myself,” she smiles as she looks you up and down.

You’re dressed in a form fitting, red, silk dress with a delicate lace trim around the chest. It’s held up by two thin spaghetti straps and it shows a little too much chest for you to be comfortable fighting in.

“Can I at least cut a slit into the back?” you plead.

“And ruin the dress the dress I took so much effort in choosing for you? No, thanks!”

You groan.

“And here are the heels to go with it.” She thrusts a pair of strappy, black heels into your hands which must be at least four inches high.

“Why?” you groan to no one in particular.

“Go on! Put them on!” she urges.

“Can’t I just put them on before going into the club?”

“No, I want to see the whole look on you.”

You let out your hundredth groan, but put them on anyway. You have no trouble walking in them, you just dread the time when you have to fight in them.

“Well, aren’t you a fine piece of ass!” she gushes.

“Thanks,” you say dryly.

“Now, let’s go show everyone how smashing you look!”

You arrive in the office on the fiftieth floor five minutes later, grumpy and less than happy.

“Ta-da!” Karanomori beams, gesturing to you like you’re her firstborn prodigy child.

“I want to throw these heels out the goddamn window,” you announce flatly. “And cut a slit into this dress so I can at least move a little more. I also feel like my boobs are gonna spill out of my dress at any given time. All in all, I feel like a trash queen.”

“You look gorgeous, [Last Name]-san!” Tsunemori gushes.

“Thank you, but I just want to get this over with as fast as possible. Where is Kogami-san?”

“Over here,” comes a gruff voice from behind you.

You turn around and have to hold back the guffaws from erupting out of your mouth. He’s wearing a leather jacket over a black t-shirt with black jeans and leather boots.

Once you’ve got your laughter under control, you speak. “You look like a moody teenager who’s re-entered his emo phase.”

“I second that,” Ginoza agrees, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“I get that you’re trying to blend in, but you’re actually standing out. Pandemonium is more of a classy nightclub than a trashy one. Just wear your normal work attire without the blazer,” you say. “Go change and meet me downstairs in the car.”

He walks off and you turn to Tsunemori. “Well, let’s head downstairs.” You go over the plan in the elevator. “Kogami-san and I will park a block from the club and walk up. The rest of you will stay a one block radius away from us in case we need backup. If tonight proves unfruitful, we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Tsunemori nods. “Let’s hope tonight does not prove to be unfruitful.”

You’re in your car five minutes later, waiting for Kogami with your heels lying next to your feet. The rest have already taken off and you’re idly tapping your foot to a random beat. The passenger side door clicks open and Kogami slides onto the seat next to you.

You glance over his attire and smile. “Much better.”

Starting the car, you pull out of the MWPSB headquarters parking lot and make your way to Pandemonium.

“So, how do you wanna do this? I think it would be best if we enter the club at different times instead of together,” you suggest as you near the club.

“I’ll head in first and then you can follow after ten minutes,” he proposes.

You nod as you pull over onto the side of a street and park there. He’s about to get out when you stop him. “Wait! Take off your tie.”

“My tie? Why?”

“It makes you look too uptight, I think.”

He raises an eyebrow in mock teasing. “ _Too_ uptight? So, I’m uptight either way?” He takes off his tie all the same and tosses it to the back seat.

You roll your eyes, a small smile tugging at your lips while you gesture at him to come closer to you. Cocking your head to the side, you bite at your lower lip in thought before leaning forward and undoing the top button on his shirt and lifting up the collar a bit.

“Better,” you say with satisfaction, looking up at him. That’s when you notice how close you are to him and back away. “Sorry, didn’t realize I was in your personal space.”

“It’s okay,” he says with an amused smile before opening the door and stepping out. “Follow me in ten.” He swings the door shut and you watch him walk away.

In the time you have, you strap your heels back on and reapply your lipstick, checking your appearance in the small mirror on the sun visor before heading after Kogami.

Sure enough, there’s a scanner outside the entrance to the club to check for holograms and weapons, but not a cymatic scanner in sight. You smile politely as your clutch is checked and then walk through the scanner and into the club.

A quick scan of the room tells you Kogami is sitting at a booth trying to ward off a woman coming onto him and you have to hide the small smile that threatens to stretch your lips. You make your way to the bar and sit yourself on a stool, ordering a drink a second later.

When you’re on your third sip of whiskey, a man slides onto the chair next to you, his arm settling next to yours, just barely touching.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you here before, but might I say I’m glad you’re here,” he says smoothly.

With a flirtatious smile, you look at him. “Why, thank you. It’s my first time here.”

He has a messy halo of brown, wavy hair and is dressed in a light blue shirt with black trousers. Quite cute, in your opinion. “The name’s Takahashi Kaito, and my I ask you yours?”

“Kimura Shiori,” you lie easily. “Nice to meet you, Takahashi.”

“Same to you. So, what brings you here today, Kimura-san?”

“Just call me Kimura,” you wave off. “A friend recommended the place and I thought I’d check it out. What about you? You come here often?”

“Almost every week. It’s a great place to relax, and meeting you is an added bonus,” he flirts.

“Oh, please. You flatter me!” you gush, letting your voice go a pitch high to imitate bashfulness.

Kogami watches from his booth, untucking a cigarette from a pack after he’s successfully gotten rid of his unwanted admirer. He has to admit you’re good at luring people in with the way you’ve got a hand on your company’s arm and you’re leaning into his presence. He almost feels sorry for the poor guy.

He distracts himself from you as he scans the area. There’s still not a soul who looks suspicious or anyone who looks like they’re scanning the room for a prey, but it’s still early and there’s lots of time to keep searching.

His eyes go back to your form and you’re now fully facing your company, your hand on his thigh instead of his arm. You’re looking up at him flirtatiously and Kogami can tell the poor guy is completely into you, hook, line and sinker.

It takes about half an hour for you to get all the information you can out of him and then you drop a hint you have a husband and the guy quickly bolts. You’ve got a satisfied smile on your face when Kogami sidles into the seat next to you and you raise an eyebrow in question, but don’t look at him.

“You know, you’re going to look like the suspicious one if you just sit alone in a booth and glance around the room every once in awhile without even ordering anything,” you say, swirling the liquid in your glass around.

He orders a drink with a wave of his hand.

“Do you really think it’s wise to sit next to me? Someone might catch us,” you continue.

“Well, you obviously got some information out of the guy you so easily lead on,” he smirks.

You shrug. “I girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

“What’d he say?”

You lean in and look up at him with hooded eyes, and he raises an eyebrow in question “If we’re going to be talking, you might as well make it look like we’re flirting to not draw any attention,” you smile sweetly. “I asked if I was safe here at the club since it doesn’t have any cymatic scanners, and he said all customers here are easy-going, but then he mentioned a guy who comes here every time he’s been at the club and just sits in a corner, just ordering a drink for himself without interacting with anyone.”

“There’s no one here who’s acting like that.”

“I know. That’s because he only comes here past eleven o’clock.”

“So we have to just sit here for another hour or so and wait for him?”

You nod, taking a sip of your drink. “So, partner, what do you want to talk about? We’ve got over an hour to kill.”

It doesn’t take long for you to lose yourselves in conversation with each other. You cross into touchy territory halfway through, asking about how the two previous enforcers died, but Kogami doesn’t seem to mind, although he is awfully aware of your hand on his thigh. He knows it’s only to make it seem like the two of you are engaging in meaningless flirting, but he can’t stop his eyes from constantly darting to your hand whenever you look away from him.

“So, what made you come back to being an enforcer even though you feel the system is flawed?” you finally ask.

“I think you’re asking a dangerous question, Inspector,” Kogami cautions. “Questions about a flawed system is what causes one's psycho pass to rise.”

“I’m not asking about a flawed system. I’m asking about what made you return to it. And don’t call me inspector here. Call me by my name.”

He’s a little taken aback by how straightforward you’re being, but answers all the same. “I decided to return because I knew staying in the Rehabilitation Center was not an option for me and because Makishima Shogo is still out there.”

"But you also still love this job, despite being an enforcer and not an inspector, and feeling the system is flawed. I can see it in your eyes when you're working a case. As long as you have a passion for what you do, you'll be content in life, is what I think," you muse.

"Yeah? And what do you have a passion for?" asks Kogami.

"I..." you begin and then smile, idly tracing the rim of your glass with your middle finger. "Never mind what I have a passion for. Sybil chose this job for me because it's what I'm best suited for. I must have a talent for it and it benefits this country and the system. That's all there is to it."

"So much for passion," he smirks.

You raise your glass and give him a lopsided smile. "So much for passion."

He clinks his glass against yours before you tilt your head back and down the last of your whiskey.

Glancing at your watch, you sigh. “It’s half past eleven and there’s still no one matching our guy’s description.”

“Maybe we’ll have to try again tomorrow.”

“Maybe,” you shrug. “I’m just gonna go use the washroom. Could you keep an eye on my purse?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” You slip off your stool, asking the bartender where the bathrooms are before walking off.

You’re washing your hands when you notice the lady behind you may not actually want to use the restroom for normal reasons, but you’re a second too late and she swiftly hits you over the head with a rod. You stumble back, disoriented and just barely dodging her next swing. You’re really cursing the dress you’re wearing at this moment, and the fact that the bathroom doesn’t have much space for movement is really working against you, not to mention you have no weapon on you. The odds just aren’t in your favour.

It takes ten minutes for Kogami to realize you’ve been gone far too long. He briskly walks to the washrooms to find no sign of you and ignores employees telling him he can’t be in the back of the club as he makes his way to the rear exit. Crisp air meets his exposed skin as he pushes open the door just in time to see your limp body being thrown into the back of a van and an all too familiar head of silver hair in the passenger seat.

Makishima turns his head to look at Kogami just as the van starts to move, a simper of a smile on his thin lips as he bids adieu with a mocking wave of his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, dear. Kogami lost you to his arch nemesis.


	7. Chapter 6

_“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a normal life?” you ask, voice cutting through the silence of the room._

_Makishima puts down his book, golden eyes cutting into your gaze. He remembers a time when it was more or less innocent and it brings a smile to his face to see how you’ve changed under his guidance. “I do.”_

_“And?” you prod, expecting more out of the man._

_“And I can’t help but think how boring it would be.” He gets up from where he’s seated on a couch and moves over to where you stand in the doorway. “Can you imagine us; you a good natured woman working a job as a secretary, maybe a florist, maybe even a therapist, and me a stockbroker or an accountant, even a librarian.”_

_“You as a librarian?” you muse, arching an eyebrow. “I think I could actually picture it.”_

_A wry smile curls his lips. “Yes, but imagine what a mundane life it would be. Get up, go to work, come back home, try to enjoy a life set out for you by the Sybil System and then rinse and repeat until you die. Would you really want your life to be governed by a software whose identity we don’t even know? Don’t you think our current lives are a lot more tasteful?”_

_You ponder upon his question for a bit, mulling it about in your mind as Makishima draws even nearer to you. His hands move to the hem of your shirt, gently pushing it up to let his fingers graze at the skin of your stomach. Goosebumps erupt across your skin and you sense him smile devilishly at your reaction._

_“I guess they are,” you finally conclude, looking up to match his bold stare._

_“You guess? What brought this thought into your mind in the first place?” he asks._

_“My friends,” you admit._

_“The ones who abandoned you when they found out you’re different compared to them?”_

_You nod almost sheepishly, looking away from him once again. “They just seem so happy in their world where nothing troubles them and everything runs smoothly and their whole future is set out for them and they don’t have to worry about anything.”_

_“Well, darling. It doesn’t have to be so easy for them,” he nearly purrs._

_Your brow furrows as you meet his gaze again. There’s a fire burning in the depths of the amber of his eyes. “What do you mean?”_

_He smiles, but it’s not in the least bit sweet. It sends chills up your spine. “I mean, we can make it harder for them. Have a little_ fun _with their lives and let them realize what it’s like to struggle for once.”_

_There’s hesitance in your eyes and Makishima catches it, smothering it out like a flickering flame in a rainstorm with a heavy kiss to your lips._

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean Makishima took [Last Name]?” Tsunemori asks, her voice jumping a notch.

“I mean I just watched as he stowed her into a van and drove off in it,” Kogami growls into his communicator.

“How did you even let that happen?” Ginoza lashes out. “You were supposed to have each other’s backs.”

Kogami has to stop himself from yelling at his own frustration at his lack of awareness as he nears the PSB vehicle, banging his fist on it. The doors are thrown open and a Dominator is subsequently pointed at his face.

“Oh, it’s just you,” Kunizuka sighs, raising her weapon and shuffling backward.

Kogami enters the van and Tsunemori is already glaring at him.

“Tell me everything that happened,” she orders.

 

* * *

 

There’s muted whispering nearby when you finally come to and you pretend to still be passed out to try and listen in on the conversation. At the same time, you’re running a mental check over your body.

There are restraints pinning your wrists to the back of what feels like a wooden chair and your ankles are tied together. Unfortunately, your heels are still on your feet and the silk dress still clings to your body; not exactly an optimum outfit to fight in. When you’re sure you can’t make out what the whispering is about, you open your eyes, your head rising to meet your assailant.

The whispering stops and a figure appears from the shadows. “So glad you could finally come to,” says a voice.

“Why should I not be surprised,” you say, as a face to match the voice comes into view. “Nice to see you again, Takahashi Kaito.”

“Nice to see you, too, Kimura Shiori,” he replies. “Or should I say [Full Name]?”

You chuckle mirthlessly, eyeing the man in front of you. He looks the same, only now his shirt is untucked and there’s a predatory glint in his brown eyes. There’s a flash of something metal at his side and your eyes dart to the knife in his hand.

“So, you’re into knives? Kinky,” you say offhandedly, watching as he drags a chair over and sits opposite to you. “Why don’t you give me one and I can show you how to play.”

“Tempting, but I have more pressing issues to deal with,” he says, sliding the knife over one of your bare knees. It’s not enough to cut your skin, but the cold of it is enough to let you know the potential it holds.

“You mean you answer to someone above you,” you clarify, smirking as his eyes narrow. “That must be fun, having someone to tell you what to do, when to do it. Almost kind of sounds like Sybil, doesn’t it?”

“Makishima warned me about this,” he smiles.

“About what?” you ask innocently.

“You trying to get inside my head.” He leans back in his chair with a self satisfied smirk. “It’s not going to work.”

“Alright. I get it. You’re prepared. You’ve done your homework. I’m proud of you sweetheart,” you say condescendingly. “So, what’s your next move? You going to kill me? Am I going to be like the rest of your victims; raped, tortured and asphyxiated?”

He shrugs, toying with his knife. “Maybe.”

You almost want to snort; he’s trying to play it cool. “Well, then, sweetheart, do I have a surprise in store for you.”

He narrows his eyes at you. “Oh, really?”

“Mm-hmm,” you nod. “Do you want to know what it is?”

“Go on, then. Enlighten me.”

“I’m wearing a thong!” you announce. “And if I do say so myself, I have an amazing ass. You better admire it enough or this whole thing will have been a waste of time. God knows Makishima loved my ass; used to keep smacking it all the time. Did you know we used to have crazy good sex? I mean, having sex with a madman sure is something else, I gotta say. It really blows your mind. You should try it!”

“Enough!” Takahashi yells. “Makishima never warned me about you being a psychotic bitch.”

“Oh, does my rambling irritate you?” you ask, batting your eyelashes at him sweetly. “I’m surprised he didn’t warn you about this. I’m the Harley Quinn to his Joker. I thought you were all prepared for this, sweetie. What happened? Did Makishima double cross you? Did he not disclose everything like he said he would? You know, he does that sometimes; leaves out little details. I should know, I used to work with the man. Are you feeling betrayed now? Does someone need to call thei-”

You’re abruptly cut off by him growling, his hand rising in the air with the knife coming down straight for your thigh. You grin. This is exactly what you wanted.

You tip your chair backward just in time for the knife to slice through the rope binding your ankles. It takes some skin with it, but at that moment you couldn’t possibly care as you find your back on the floor. Takahashi takes a moment to realize what’s just happened and you utilize it, rolling to your front and getting to your feet. By the time he’s on his feet and prepared for whatever assault you’re about to throw his way, you’re backing into him chair-first.

You collide with his body and you both go down, but the force isn’t enough to break the chair. Cursing under your breath, you roll over again, getting back to your feet. There’s not much you can do with your hands tied behind the chair, so you wait, allowing Takahashi to get to his feet.

His hand still brandishes the knife and you groan internally. This might get painful. He comes at you and you dodge, turning swiftly to hit him with the chair that’s still attached to your body. It smacks him squarely across the side of his body and he stumbles back. He recovers quickly enough, swiping at you with the knife and you narrowly dodge it again, kicking out with a leg and jabbing him in the shin. He buckles and your grin.

“How nice of you to help me,” you croon, as you step back and then run up towards him, using his body to lift off into the air with a forceful push from your feet. You come down on the ground with the chair under you. It hurts a whole lot and you’re sure your back is going to be covered in one big bruise, but it breaks the chair and that’s all you’d been aiming for.

By the time you’ve picked yourself up, kicked off your heels and found the best length of wood possible, Takahashi is back on his feet. He looks completely annoyed at this point and looking to end this as soon as possible. With a warcry that makes you want to roll your eyes, he charges, knife glinting menacingly in the scant light of the warehouse.

If there’s one thing you’re grateful of from your days with Makishima, it’s the fact that he taught you how to fight. He taught you how to be light on your feet, nimble, flexible, quick and unpredictable. You turn to tiring out Takahashi, easily evading his attempts to slice through your skin. He may good at torturing someone and cleaning up his traces of evidence, but fighting did not seem to be one if his best talents.

It isn’t until his knife swipes too close to your leg and cuts through the fabric of your dress over your right thigh, leaving a thin cut across the skin there, that you decide to step up your game. You still have a jagged piece of wood in your hand and when his hand sweeps through the air again, you block it, your hand wrapping around his forearm firmly and holding it in place. You swing your makeshift weapon through the air, but before it can wound him, he’s dropping the knife out of the hand you have trapped. He catches it with his free left hand and slashes.

You grunt in pain as blood spills from your torso, a gash just below your breasts shooting pain through your body. You ignore it, continuing with your arm’s motion as the jagged end of the wood pierces Takahashi’s left shoulder. He yells in pain, dropping the knife in his hand and you kick it behind you.

You have the upper hand now. His left arm is out of commission and you have his right arm trapped by your left hand. You almost forget about his legs, but remember just in time as he kicks one out, causing you to release him as you jump backwards.

The two of you exchange blows for a few minutes before you once again obtain the upper hand and judo flip him. Big mistake on your part, as you’ve completely forgotten about the knife on the floor. He scoops it up and immediately plunges it into your left thigh, releasing an agonized cry from you.

Takahashi laughs in triumph as you stumble back, plucking the knife from your thigh and arming yourself with it, trying your level best to ignore the pain shooting up your leg as you put weight on it.

“[Name]!”

Your attention darts up, eyes locking on Kogami’s form as he stands on a platform a level above you. He raises his Dominator, pointing it just left of you and abruptly the knife is plucked from your grip. Next thing you know it’s being held against your neck and there’s a strong grip on your left forearm.

“Drop it,” Takahashi yells. “Unless you want to see girly over here a mess of blood and guts.”

Indecision flashes across Kogami’s features before he reluctantly lowers his gun.

“Good boy. That’s exactly how a hound like you should take ord- Ooph!” The wind is wiped out from his lungs as you elbow him.

The knife at your neck slices into your skin ever so slightly, but you’re quick, right hand raising to grab his arm and fling him over your back in another judo flip. He’s quick to recover, though, scrambling to his feet and dashing before Kogami can get a lock on him.

You’re running after him, quick on your feet as Kogami looks for a way down. You follow Takahashi into a warehouse attached to the previous one and it seems this one has no exit, evident from the way he’s nearly shaking on his legs as his eyes dart between you and something behind you.

You turn to find Kogami next to you and pluck the Dominator from his grip, predatorily stalking Takahashi, backing him into a corner.

“W-wait! Don’t shoot me! I can lead you to him. I can lead you to Makishima,” he pleads, arms raised mercifully in front of himself.

You raise your weapon, your eyes glowing blue as it reports a Crime Coefficient high enough for it’s Lethal Eliminator mode. “No, you can’t,” you say and pull the trigger.

He explodes into blood and messy body parts, and Kogami subsequently loses it behind you.

“Are you crazy? He could’ve led us to Makishima. You just ruined our one lead,” he yells.

You slam his Dominator into his chest as you walk past him. “No. Makishima isn’t dumb. I’m sure he planned this all out. Do you really think he would’ve let someone like Takahashi in on his whereabouts and his plans? Was there anyone who truly knew the entirety of Makishima’s plans?”

There’s no response from behind you and you can only assume he’s deep in thought. “No.”

“Exactly. Now, let’s go. I want to go home and take the longest nap the world has witnessed.”

There’s shuffling behind you and Kogami follows. “You’re limping.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“Again, I’m aware.”

Suddenly there’s a hand on your shoulder and you’re being turned around. Kogami’s eyes roam your body and you glare at him as he begins to remove his jacket.

“I’m fine. I can walk. Now, let’s…” You groan in pain, cutting yourself off as your body fails you and keels forward into Kogami. Maybe you’ve lost more blood than you thought. You’re also abruptly very aware of how painful your wounds are across your stomach and thigh.

“You were saying?” comes Kogami’s voice from above you as his hands support you, draping his jacket over your shoulders.

“I was saying,” you begin, pushing off roughly from him with your hands, only to teeter back and lose your balance.

He catches you, his arms around your waist as amusement sparkles in his grey eyes. “Yes?”

“Okay, so maybe I’m a little worse for wear,” you admit.

“A little?”

“Just shut up and help me to the vehicle,” you groan.

He sighs, adjusting his grip on you as he slips an arm behind your knees.

“What are you- Hey!” You’re in his arms now, your back supported by one arm and your legs by the other as he holds you to his torso.

“If you’re anything like a certain someone I know,” he’s thinking of Ginoza, “I know you’re going to keep protesting, but you can’t walk on your own, so just shut up and keep still.”

You sigh, groaning again as your chest heaves painfully. “How did you even find me?”

“Shion put a tracking chip in your heels.”

You laugh dryly before stopping in pain. “That’s smart.”

“We narrowed it down to this complex when something blocking the sensors stopped us from pinpointing your exact location.”

You close your eyes, too tired to reply.

“You can sleep if you want,” he suggests.

“Oh, yeah, cause your arms are _so_ comfy,” you say sarcastically.

He smiles in amusement. It’s been awhile since he’s met someone with as much sass as you dish out. “Would you rather I let you walk on your own?”

You crack an eye open, frowning at him. “You know I would.”

He sighs. “That’s true. Just relax. We’re almost there.”

“Mmm,” you reply, shutting your eyes again, and before you know it, the subtle movement of Kogami's steps rocks you to sleep.

 

* * *

 

A laptop sits on Makishima’s lap, his eyes gazing over your form again and again as it spars with Takahashi’s. You still have the same spunk he knew all too well from his time with you, not to mention you look divine in that dress.

He growls at his own thoughts, slamming the laptop shut and getting up from his seat, moving to a window that overlooks the city. He dials a number and a feminine voice picks up.

“Yes?”

“Takahashi is dead. I’m leaving it to you,” Makishima says simply.

“Of course. I won’t disappoint you.”

The line goes dead and he throws his head back, allowing his eyes to flutter close. Images of you flash beneath his eyelids, scenes that depict you kissing Kogami and laughing at Makishima’s helpless face. His eyes snap open, banishing the imagery from his mind. He shouldn’t be this obsessed with you, but he can’t stop himself from feeling this way. His fists tighten at his sides.

He’ll have you one day, dead or alive.


	8. Chapter 7

Sweat drenches the nape of your neck and chest when you wake, Makishima’s deviously angelic smile haunting your dreams from two seconds ago. And when there’s movement to the right of you, you lash out, hand darting out from beneath the sheets and wrapping around a thick neck, your nails digging into pale skin.

It takes your dream-laced mind a little too long to register the slate grey eyes in front of you are not amber and your grip on Kogami’s neck loosens. It takes you even longer to register his hand firmly around your wrist, and you let go completely, hand falling uselessly to your side.

Kogami is acutely aware of the steel in your eyes as you look him over, as if making sure of something before you finally relax, your eyes fluttering shut. He can’t help but remember the absolute fear in them when you were glaring at him just moments ago; fear and an overwhelming sense of power mixed with anger.

“I’m sorry,” you say softly as he takes a seat in a chair beside your bed. You’re in one of the infirmary rooms, no doubt the result of you having suffered multiple wounds during your abduction.

He doesn’t respond, still trying to pinpoint where those emotions came from and who they’re meant to be directed at. It's very possible they’re byproducts of your time with Takahashi Kaito, but it seems to run deeper than that.

“You’re looking at me funny. Is there something on my face?” you ask after he still hasn’t spoken.

“Sorry,” he answers quickly, brushing his thoughts aside for later. “You seem to be doing better for someone who’s lost a lot of blood.”

You smile wryly, sitting up before thinking better of it as pain shoots through your torso.

Kogami catches the wince that scrunches up your face momentarily. “I guess I spoke too soon.”

“Yeah, I think you jinxed it,” you say with a pained smile, peering down your shirt to make sure there’s no blood seeping through your bandages. “Are you here for a reason?”

“Can I not drop in on the Inspector whose back I was supposed to have on our latest mission?” he asks.

“You hardly seem like that type of person, Kogami-san,” you say bluntly.

He knows you have him pegged with that line. The only other people he’d bother dropping in on are Tsunemori and Ginoza. He looks at you for a moment; you’re much more insightful than he’d previously thought, and he’s fairly good at profiling people. “You’re right,” he sighs. “I’m here because Tsunemori sent me for your report about your abduction.”

“Did she really?” Your chin is slightly raised as you effectively stare him down.

Had you really seen through him so easily? Kogami ignores the thought. “Yes.”

“She really doesn’t seem the type to bother someone who’s recovering,” you say casually. “I’ll ask again. Did she really send you down here or are you here of your own accord?”

His brow furrows and he wants to glare at you, but sighs in defeat instead. “She didn’t send me here.”

“Kogami-san,” you begin. “I understand you want to take down Makishima Shogo as quickly as possible, but I am not going to fuel your obsession with him. You will get my report at the same time everyone else does.”

“It seems almost as if you’re in no hurry to get to Makishima,” he rebuts.

Your eyes narrow at him, slicing into his with a venom he isn’t used to seeing in an Inspector. It catches him mildly off guard; he was expecting a negative reaction out of you, but nothing like this. He notices your blood pressure rising, his gaze darting to the monitor before moving back to you.

You rise into a sitting position, pulling yourself as tall as you can as you ignore the pain in your abdomen, staring him down from your new height. “Don’t act as if you’re the only one affected by this case anymore,” you say in a dangerously low voice. “You may have been the first to be, but now there are others just as hurt as you are. They want vengeance as much as you do, however, they’re not letting it spin them out of control as you are.” You pause, letting the weight of your words sink in for a second. “Tsunemori lost one of her closest friends to Makishima. You all lost Kagari Shusei to him. Ginoza lost his father to Makishima, not to mention he lost you, his best friend, to him.”

“Me?” Kogami questioned. “I’m not dead.”

You scoffed. “Are you sure about that? The way you live your life, as if it’s solely for the sake of taking down Makishima, sure seems like it.”

He rises from his chair to stand next to your bed, fixing you with a glare that would send a normal person screaming for their life, but you simply match his gaze with your own, despite the fact that he’s looking down on you now.

“You don’t know anything about my life,” he growls. “And you don’t know anything about what I’ve been through.”

His statement touches a nerve a little too close to home and you nearly snap, almost pouring out all the brainwashed misery you’d lived through with Makishima for so many years, but you keep that information tightly sealed, instead grabbing his tie and pulling him down to eye level with a strong jerk.

“I may not, but I do know that how you’re acting now isn’t benefiting anyone in the slightest, not even you,” you say levelly. “So take your obsession back to where it came from or you might just end up in back in the Rehabilitation Center because you couldn’t handle a fucking case.”

Kogami opens his mouth to argue, even though he knows everything you’ve said is true, but he’s interrupted when Karanomori bursts into the room.

“[Name]-chan, you BP is through the roo-” She pauses when she sees the situation in front of her before rushing forth to break you and Kogami apart.

You let go of his tie and he straightens, moving back as Karanomori hovers around you, but his fiery gaze stays on you and you continue to match it with your icy one.

“You shouldn’t be stressing your abdomen so much by sitting up,” Karanomori frets, beginning to unbutton your shirt to check your bandages before pausing and glaring at Kogami. “I don’t care what you came here for, but get out now.”

He finally looks away from you, turning swiftly on his heel and exiting the room. You collapse backwards, allowing Karanomori to undo your bandages and redress your wound.

“What was that about?” she asks casually. “I freaked out when I saw your blood pressure go crazy in the lab and came rushing here.”

You sigh offhandedly, draping an arm over your forehead. “I don’t think I want to talk about it.”

She shrugs. “Suit yourself, but if you ever want to talk, I’m always here. I love a bit of gossip.”  She winks and a corner of your mouth quirks up. “You don’t get much gossip in the MWPSB.”

“I imagine you don’t, unless some Inspector hooks up with an Enforcer,” you say. She smiles with hidden information and you laugh before you can help yourself. “Okay, I’ll bite. What do you know?”

“It’s happened before.”

“What? An Inspector and an Enforcer dating?” you ask in surprise.

She nods. “Mm-hmm.”

“Is that even allowed?” you wonder aloud, arching an eyebrow.

She shrugs again. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your duties, I think it’s allowed.”

“Huh. Never would’ve thought.”

“But it doesn’t happen often. Most Inspectors are too afraid of getting close to latent criminals because it might increase their Crime Coefficient.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. I feel like Tsunemori and I are the only ones to treat Enforcers like they’re real people and not criminals.”

“Well, that’s true.”

You sigh. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we were all equals without Sybil telling us who’s above who.”

“Now, now, Inspector,” Karanomori chastises. “That’s the kind of talk that’ll get you into trouble.”

You don’t reply for a minute as she buttons your shirt back up and then shrug. “I suppose so.”

 

* * *

 

Kogami’s first coping mechanism is to hit the gym, but he doesn’t feel like being around people and doesn’t want to run the chances of bumping into someone while there. Maybe the makeshift gym in his living quarters will have to do for now.

His work hours for the day are over and he’s glad he doesn’t have to make small talk with his colleagues, afraid he might just snap at them, too. He sighs, loosening the tie around his neck as he punches in the code to his dormitory. He slips out of his jacket as he makes his way to his room, looking to change into something he can actually workout in.

It’s only an hour later that he begins to tire. His punching bag is looking a little worse for wear and he mulls over whether or not he should bother Ginoza for a sparring session. He’s a good fighting partner and, ever since the passing of Masaoka, his only one.

The memory of you running at him faster than he would’ve thought possible, effortlessly launching yourself into the air and tackling him in an impeccable chokehold with your legs runs through his mind. He wonders where you’d learned to fight like that. You hadn’t specified a certain martial art when Kogami had asked, but if he had to peg it down as something, it would be chaotic.

But it isn’t so. He can see you know exactly what you’re doing as you perform a move, a sure and level head perched upon your shoulders. It appears chaotic at first glance and to anyone who doesn’t know better, but to the wiser eye, it’s fluid and easy on your body, memorised and seared into your bones.

He doesn’t know why it’s so hard to profile you. It came so naturally to him for others. It’s why he acted the way he’d acted when he’d first met Tsunemori, brushing off her fresh-off-the-boat gaze like a pest on his shoulder, not even bothering to spare her a second glance as he deemed her inexperienced and just another voice to obey. You, on the other hand, had been different.

When you’d first walked into Division 1’s office, there was purpose in your steps. You help your head high and didn’t buckle under pressure, handling your first mission with ease and a clear mind. Other than the very basics, Kogami had no clue what lay underneath your skin and what ran the gears in your mind, nor the secrets to how you worked like a well-oiled machine.

The first time you’d caught him staring in an attempt to profile you again, you’d merely blinked before smiling politely, a gesture that didn’t meet your eyes. The second time, you arched a brow at him in question before returning your attention back to what had first occupied it. The third time, you’d engaged in a silent staring competition until Kogami finally gave up with a blink and looked away.

He sighs, collapsing on his sofa with a bottle of water in his hand. Maybe he should make you pay a visit to Saiga on the pretense of work so he could do a much better job at profiling you than Kogami could.

He tilts his head back, drinking hungrily from the bottle until it’s empty and placing it on the coffee table in front of him. His mind flashes back to the heated argument the two of you had shared just over an hour ago.

He can’t deny every word that had come out of your mouth had been true. He doesn’t know how you've come to decipher him so well when he had barely even spent much time interacting with you, but it irks him. He doesn’t appreciate having someone get under his skin when he barely knows anything about them in return. Maybe he’ll keep a closer eye on you from now on.

He finalizes on that last thought, rising from his seat and heading for a shower.

 

* * *

 

Tsunemori is the last one left in the office when she begins packing up to leave for the day. The sun has already set and the clock is ticking just past twelve AM. She’s shutting off her screen when the doors to the room slide open, your figure walking through them.

“[Last Name],” Tsunemori greets in surprise. She hadn’t expected to see you out of the infirmary so soon.

“Oh, good evening, Tsunemori. I’m surprised to see you here so late,” you smile, making your way over to her as she gets up with her bag.

“I could say the same to you. Shouldn’t you be in bed getting some rest so you can recover?”

You shrug. “I convinced Karanomori that I was healthy enough to be at least moving around, if not going on missions. I thought I should at least come up here and work with the free time I now have on my hands.”

“Work? But there’s nothing really to do,” she says with a furrowed brow.

“Yes, but I have a report due, don’t I,” you smile wryly.

“I suppose,” she mulls over. “But you can always just come in tomorrow instead of staying up late and not resting as you should be.”

“I’ve slept enough and I’ve been resting so much that it’s making me agitated. I need to be doing something instead of just lying in bed,” you say, moving to your desk and waking your monitor.

She watches you, her big brown eyes filled with concern. “If you say so.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” you assure her, taking a seat.

“Don’t over exert yourself,” she warns, walking to the entrance to the office.

“Oh, by the way, Tsunemori,” you call. “Did you actually send Kogami down to the infirmary to ask for my report? I’d feel awful if I lectured him as rudely as I did on the wrong basis.”

She turns to face you, brow furrowed once again. “I didn’t. Why? Did he say something or do something? And why did you lecture him?”

You grimaced at the memory before recounting the events from your morning to her. “I may have been a little too tough on him and a little too harsh with my words,” you finish.

She chews on her lower lip for a moment, something you notice is a habit of hers, before she sighs. “I didn’t think he’d go that far, but I don’t think you’re wrong in lecturing him. Everybody has their way of knocking sense into people, and your way is the route of honesty, however brutal it may be. I won’t lie when I say everything you told him is the truth and maybe you’re the only one who can nail it to him so bluntly, especially since you joined just two months ago and have a fresh view on everything. If there’s anything more I have to say on the subject, it’s that you know when to be rough and it’s good to know you’re not completely cold hearted and don’t regret how you spoke to Kogami. Keep up the good work, [Last Name].”

You smile and it actually reaches your eyes. “Thank you, Tsunemori. Now I won’t keep you any longer; either way I have to finish this report or Kogami will absolutely lose it tomorrow. Head home and get some sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, [Last name],” she smiles and leaves.

The office is dark except for the light above you and the glow emitting from your monitor. You turn your attention to it, flexing your fingers in front of you. Time to get to work.

 

* * *

 

Kogami’s already been awake for a few hours by the time he strolls into office. He’d fit in a training session just after he woke up and taken a shower before clocking in at ten in the morning. Just as he notes that he’s the first one to arrive, his eyes land on your slumped form.

You’re seated at your desk, dressed in formal work attire despite your injuries, and your head lays atop your forearms upon your desk. Your eyes are shut and your back gently rises and falls with each breath you take. Your hair is splayed out across your desk and the way it’s minutely tangled in certain areas tells him you’ve been here a while.

He steps quietly over to you, noting your monitor is still awake, a report half finished decorating the screen, before shrugging out of his jacket and covering your upper body with it.

The mechanical whir of the doors behind him alerts him to a new presence in the room and he turns to find Tsunemori frowning at the scene before her.

“Good morning, Inspector,” he greets. “[Last Name]’s asleep, it seems.”

“Good morning, Kogami-san,” she replies with a curt nod. “And I’m not surprised she is. She came here last night, just past midnight, determined to finish her report on her abduction, no thanks to you.”

Kogami’s eyes widen a fraction of an inch before he regains his normal cool composure. “She told you about that?”

“She did and it was out of line for you to have done that,” she chastises.

He prepares himself for another lecture, albeit kinder than yours.

“But I’m not going to lecture you. [Last Name] did a good enough job of that, I believe.”

His lips press into a thin line at the memory of your strong voice and sharp words. “She did, indeed.”

“Good,” she nods, moving to your form and gently cupping your shoulders with her hands to wake you up. “[Last Name], wake up. You’re going to give yourself a cramp in that position.”

You groan softly, eyes squeezing before fluttering open. They land on Kogami and your first reaction is to frown. Then they move to Tsunemori and you sit up, suddenly registering the pain in your abdomen from scrunching it up while leaning forward in the position you’d been sleeping in. You hiss softly, your hand going to the wound just below your chest as you register you may have bled through your bandages. You peer down and sure enough a patch of your shirt is soaked red.

Tsunemori gasps and you rise, finally noticing the jacket draped upon your shoulders. You frown once again.

“You need to go to the infirmary,” Tsunemori urges. “Kogami, take her there.”

You shake your head, discarding his jacket and stepping around your chair. “I can get there on my own. I’ll be fine,” you say stubbornly. You take a step and abruptly keel forward, your vision going blurry.

Kogami steps forward just in time, catching you and you land against his chest. You groan internally; you really don’t want to be depending on the man you just sliced open yesterday with a metaphorical serrated knife.

“I’ll take her down,” he confirms, assuring Tsunemori of your well being before tossing one of your arms around his shoulders and hooking an arm around your waist.

At least he’s not lifting you in his arms again. He seems to understand the situation you’re in and doesn’t want to belittle you any further. You make it to the elevator and wait in awkward silence as it descends.

Kogami is the first to break it. “Are you okay?”

You grimace, shifting uncomfortably in his hold. “Don’t try to make small talk. It doesn’t suit you.”

The doors slide open and the two of you exit, walking to the infirmary as Kogami calls for Karanomori. She arrives just as he’s setting you down on the edge of the bed.

“Not you two again,” she sighs. “I knew I shouldn’t have discharged you yesterday.”

You shrug. “My bad. I slept in the wrong position.”

“She overworked herself,” Kogami clarifies.

“Oh, I’m sorry for working on a certain report that a certain someone was so impatient for,” you retort.

“You two can fight later. Shinya, get out of here. I need to undress this hot mess,” she says, turning her attention to you.

“And I’m not one?” he says playfully, walking towards the door.

“We can argue about that later,” she smiles with a wink over her shoulder.

“I didn’t know the two of you were so close,” you say once he’s gone.

“Yeah, well, we’ve known each other for a long time. Lately, I’ve been wondering if I should sleep with him. He has a great body and I’m sure he’d be great in bed,” she says casually, removing the soiled bandages from your chest.

You choke on your own saliva and she whacks you lightly on the back. “Wow, I did not see that conversation coming,” you say, eyebrows raising in surprise. “But, not to be invasive, aren’t you in a relationship with Kunizuka?”

“That I am,” she confirms. “Which is why I won’t make any move on Shinya-kun. I’m quite happy with Yayoi.”

“You two make a beautiful couple,” you smile, wincing slightly as she cleanses your wound.

“We do, don’t we?” she gushes, red lips curving in amusement.

You laugh gently, careful not to put too much pressure on your abdomen.

“I do wish Ginoza would get some, though. He’s such a buzzkill sometimes. I think sex would do him some good,” she says offhandedly.

You once again choke and she hits you on the back again. “I don’t think he’s interested in that at the moment, nor do I think he’s interested in anyone.”

She hums in acknowledgement. “I wonder what he would be like in bed.”

“You’re trying to choke me to death with this conversation, I’m sure of it,” you say flatly.

She laughs. “Oh, dear, no. I’m just very open with such topics and my sexuality. I mean, I have such a body, I might as well be.” She finishes dressing your wound and moves to the door as you button your shirt, her head popping around the doorway. “Shinya-kun, you can come in now. The ladies are fully dressed.”

“You say that as if you two have been doing something in here that's not acceptable,” he says impishly.

“Maybe we were. You’ll never know,” she grins.

Your cheeks are flushed by the time he gets a good look at you and Karanomori is lecturing about not doing anything strenuous anymore.

“Yes, ma’am,” you say, smiling wryly at her.

She just huffs at you in return, moving to the door to leave. “Well, when you’re better, I won’t stop you from engaging in some frivolous activities with Ginoza. You can exert yourself then as much as you want,” she says, winking over her shoulder.

You go red in the face. “Karanomori!” you yell, but she’s already gone. The door slides shut and you sigh.

“So…” Kogami begins. “You wanna talk about that?”

“No!” you nearly shout. “There’s nothing to talk about that. She was just joking.”

“I’m sure she was.”

You finally look at him, glaring at him as he leans against the wall opposite you. He’s smiling in amusement with his hands tucked in his pockets.

“There’s nothing I can say to get that smug look off your face, is there?” you say.

He doesn’t reply to your question, instead changing the topic. “You feeling better?”

“Yes, thanks. And thank you for helping me down here.”

“You sure say thank you a lot for an Inspector talking to an Enforcer.”

“We’re all humans in the end,” you reply, looking off to the side.

“You say that a lot,” he notes.

“It’s the truth. If Sybil were to cease to exist, we’d all just be humans. We’d be equals.” You pause. “Maybe not complete equals. The corrupt would rise and the poor would fall, but maybe things would be different in certain areas.”

“Inspector,” Kogami says in a voice that causes you to look back to him. “Those are dangerous waters you’re treading. Don’t lose your mind to them.”

You smile in reassurance. “My Psycho Pass is not so easily influenced, don’t worry. I digress, I’m very thick skinned; not much gets to me. I don’t know if that’s a boon or a bane, but for this career, it works to my advantage.”

He frowns, grey-blue eyes surveying you. “Still, don’t chase those thoughts. You won’t like where they lead.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” you admit in a bold statement. “I’ve already done my fair share of chasing, and while I don’t like where they lead, I know how to deal with them. After all, I am an Inspector aren’t I?”

Kogami is taken aback by your bluntness and forwardness. He’s just about to ask where exactly your thoughts have lead you when you rise, smoothing down your blood-stained blouse and your skirt.

“Now,” you sigh. “I have a report to finish.”

He straightens, pushing off from the wall. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m taking you back to your room so you can rest.”

“What? No, you’re not. I’m perfectly fine,” you argue.

“You’re going back to your room or so help me I will throw you over my shoulder and take you there myself. Shion’s orders.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. You’re going to do that to your Inspector,” you challenge.

He grins in an almost predatory way. “Try me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I really like the whole thing going on between the reader and Kogami in this chapter. In the sense that the whole fight makes Kogami realize his Inspector isn't the type to be pushed around easily and that she's also quite mysterious in a way. 
> 
> I think it also builds on their relationship, which so far has been very minimal, because we see the reader deconstruct Kogami as a person and him come to the realization that she's someone who's on equal footing with him both mentally and physically. Also that she's such a person, that despite him accusing her of delaying the report, she gets down to it as fast as possible even though she could've taken her own sweet time to recover. 
> 
> We also see that he comes to know she's not as blasse about Sybil as normal people are, where they take it in stride with their normal day lives whereas she's taken the time to ponder about it's existence and life without it, which is rare for an Inspector, which surprised Kogami.
> 
> Anyway, that's that. There is a bit of playfulness with Karanomori and we see a lighter, more naughty side of Kogami, especially with the whole bedding Ginoza thing. 
> 
> Also, I gave up with the flashback intros with Makishima.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


	9. Chapter 8

You step out of your room in sweatpants and an airy tank top. “You happy now?”

Kogami looks over his shoulder at you from his place on your couch, eyes travelling over your body. “Yeah.”

You roll your eyes, moving to your kitchen counter to make yourself a cup of coffee. “Shouldn’t you be going back up? Don’t you have work?”

He sighs, rising to his feet and tucking his hands into his pockets. “I do, but I don’t think Tsunemori will mind if I’m making sure you’re not getting back to work or,” he looks at you with a sly smirk, “engaging in any frivolous activities.”

Your mind cuts to Karanomori’s words from earlier about bedding Ginoza and you immediately pick up the closest item to you, which happens to be a metal spoon, and lob it at Kogami. It hits him squarely in the head; he hadn’t been expecting it.

“Oops, my hand slipped,” you smile sweetly.

“I’m sure it did,” he says, bending down to collect the spoon before tossing it to you.

You catch it easily. “You better get going before my hand slips some more,” you warn.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says playfully, walking to the door. Just as he’s about to exit, he looks over his shoulder, grey eyes meeting yours. “Your secret is safe with me,” he says slyly and then he’s gone, leaving you with your mouth hanging open in outrage.

 

* * *

 

It’s six in the evening when Tsunemori receives an email from you, detailing your experience at Pandemonium and your abduction by Takahashi Kaito. She easily reads through it in a short period of time before she forwards it to the rest of Division 1 to keep them in the loop.

It’s seven o’clock when you’re about to sit down for dinner. You’ve just prepared a meal of pan seared salmon marinated in garlic, herb and butter, with a side of asparagus, carrots, sweet potatoes and steamed rice; a treat after bleeding out your bandages twice. As you serve yourself a fillet and shovel some vegetables and rice to the side, you realize you may have made a bit more than you’d intended. You shrug; it’ll always come in handy the next day.

You leave your plate on the island in your kitchen as you move towards the fridge, looking for some wine, when the doorbell rings. You frown, wondering who could be wanting to visit you as you set the bottle down on the counter and walk over to the front door, tapping on the little interface to the right of it to activate the camera and then again to open the door.

“Kogami-san,” you greet, mild surprise evident in your voice. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“We need to talk,” he says bluntly. He sounds slightly out of breath and his blazer and tie are missing, like he came there in a rush.

“Um, okay. Sure. Come on in.” You turn around, allowing him to follow you as you move to the living room. “What do you need to talk about?”

Before he can answer, he spots your plate of food and bottle of wine on the kitchen island. “I’m sorry, were you eating dinner?”

“It’s fine,” you wave him off. “I hadn’t started yet.” You look at him curiously for a second. “Have you eaten dinner, yet?”

“No.”

“Care to join me?” you ask, diverting from the couches and instead heading for the kitchen.

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” he begins.

“Tell me, Kogami-san, when was the last time you had a home-cooked meal?” you ask passively.

His brows draw together in thought and his mind flits back to a time when Kagari was still alive and invited everyone over for food constantly. Ever since his death, he’s been constantly hitting up the building’s canteen. “It’s been a while,” he admits.

You smile gently. “Then you’re not imposing,” you say smoothly, picking a plate from a cupboard and sliding food onto it.

He sighs in defeat, idling near the island as you move around, opening another cupboard to find wine glasses.

You look over your shoulder at him, your arms still reached upwards with one hand around the stem of a glass and the other hovering in wait near another flute. “Would you like some wine? Or do you prefer some harder type of liquor?”

“Wine will be fine,” he replies, watching as you grab another glass and elbow the cupboard shut.

You move one of the glasses to the other hand, picking up the wine bottle and setting them down on your dining table. You turn back for the plates only to find Kogami already has them along with two sets of forks and knives.

“Thank you,” you smile as he sets your plate in front of you and you pour the red wine into the two glasses.

You seat yourself opposite Kogami, taking a bite of salmon and thoughtfully chewing to make sure it’s fully cooked. Swallowing in satisfaction, you clear your throat with a sip of wine. “Well,” you begin. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Your report,” he replies after a bite of food.

You raise an eyebrow in question, urging him to continue as you mentally make sure you hadn’t divulged anything you shouldn’t have in your report. You’d been careful to leave out any and all conversation relating to Makishima and your past life with him. “What about my report?” you ask.

“It doesn’t contain anything about Makishima Shogo in it,” he states.

“Was it supposed to?” you enquire with a furrowed brow.

He answers your question with a question of his own. “Was he not there?”

He notices the grip on your fork and knife tightens. “Was he supposed to be?”

He chuckles. “Inspector, you can’t keep answering in questions.”

“I dare say I can when I have no idea what you’re trying to get at,” you argue.

“He was in the van with you,” he finally says, eyes boring into yours, looking for some kind of reaction. Anything too drastic would be peculiar, but no sort of reaction would be even more so.

A muscle in your jaw jumps and a line in your neck tightens, jutting out against the smooth curve of your skin. Your pupils dilate ever so slightly and then contract as your eyes widen in shock. An apt reaction, Kogami thinks.

“I ran out of the club just in time to catch you being thrown into a van, and as it pulled away I saw Makishima in the passenger seat,” he continues.

“He wasn’t there,” you whisper shakily, eyes darting down to the food on your plate. It suddenly looks very unappetizing and all you want to do is hurl it out the window.

“Are you sure it was only Takahashi in the warehouse with you?” he prods.

“Yes. There wasn’t anyone else.” You’re still talking in a deathly soft tone, your voice quivering. Your eyes are a little too wide and your grip still too tight. Your knuckles are turning white and your nails are digging into your palms, close to drawing blood. “You were there at the end. You must’ve noticed, too. It was only the two of us.” Your eyes dart back to him, awaiting confirmation, depending on it; he can’t help but notice they’re dilated again.

He thinks back, if only for a second. “It was.”

The muscles in your jaw and neck relax. You put down your knife and fork with a great amount of effort and grip the stem of your wine glass, bringing the rim to your lips and abruptly tilting it back, downing it in several large gulps.

Something sparks in Kogami; the need to comfort you. It’s a familiar feeling, one that brings him back to his days as an Inspector when his sole mission was to protect rather than bring someone down. He shakes the feeling off. He’s an Enforcer now. There’s no use in dwelling in the past.

But was it so bad to comfort someone in need of it?

By the time he’s made up his mind that reaching over and squeezing your shoulder isn’t such a bad idea, you’re already standing, taking your barely touched plate and shoving it in the fridge.

“You’re not eating?” he asks, although it’s obvious.

“No,” you say flatly, your back to him. “In fact,” you turn, flashing a smile Kogami is not ready for, “would you care to indulge me in a sparring session?”

“Is it a habit of yours to overwork yourself while injured,” he says wryly as he notes your smile doesn’t really reach your eyes.

You smirk. “Possibly.”

“No.”

“As your Inspector, I order you to accept.”

“No,” he says again.

“Are you really going to disobey a direct order from your Inspector?” you challenge, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Yes. Especially when it’s not a real order.”

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “You know I’m just going to go up to the gym either way, right?”

“Do you really think I’m going to let you?”

“What makes you think you can stop me?”

Kogami is sure this is supposed to be an argument of sorts, but there’s a certain lilt to both your tones that makes the whole conversation take on a more playful note, something almost akin to flirting, if he dare say.

“Maybe the fact that you’re injured and can’t throw a punch for the life of you,” he suggests.

“Oh, is that a challenge I hear?”

Kogami wants to laugh. He’s also very tempted to give in just so he can analyze your fighting style again, but he knows better. “There’s no arguing with you, is there?”

You grin. “No, there isn’t.”

“How about the faster you recover, the sooner you’ll be let back on missions.”

You frown. He’s got you there, but you engage in a long stare-down before sighing. “Fine.”

“You’re not going to be able to recover if you don’t eat,” he adds.

You frown harder, if it’s possible, but with a roll of your eyes, you open the fridge and take out your food, popping it in the microwave for a quick reheat. You finally seat yourself opposite Kogami once again, refilling your glass with wine before cutting a piece of salmon and popping it in your mouth. “Happy?”

He grins, amusement apparent in his eyes. “Yeah.”

The two of you continue to eat, engaging in small talk about work and daily life. Kogami finds his mind wandering to your conversation from that morning, about your musings on the Sybil System, wanting to ask you just where your thoughts had led you, but before he makes up his mind, it’s already too late. You’re rinsing the dishes in the sink and sticking them in the dishwasher, signalling his time in your apartment is coming to an end.

He watches you; your hair is up in a ponytail now and he can see the gentle curve of the nape of your neck. Your body’s frame is deceiving, it doesn’t look like it can pull off half the stunts it does, but if there’s one thing Kogami has learnt from his time with you it’s that you’re always presenting him with the unexpected.

“You’re staring,” you remark, gazing at him curiously as you dry your hands on a towel.

He straightens in his spot, tucking his hands into his pockets. He chooses to reply with a completely different topic. “What do you think of the Sybil System?”

Your brows raise minimally as you set the cloth down, moving towards where he stands and stopping in front of him. “Kogami-san,” you begin.

He waits, breath caught unconsciously in this lungs. He expects an answer unlike any other from you. Your views are so different from the rest of the world, so well thought out and based on fact and not thoughtless assumption. So, when he practically feels the walls close around you, he’s caught off guard.

“I don’t think this is the time for such a conversation,” you finish, smiling gently. You begin to move again, heading towards the front door, and he knows it’s time.

He follows you without a word as you open the door and let him pass you. He doesn’t expect you to speak anymore on the subject and fully intends to stride out of there without so much as a goodbye or a thank you for dinner.

“Ask me again when you think the time is right,” you add.

He’s only two feet out when you say it. Your voice is soft, but it’s still loud enough for him to hear it clearly and it makes him turn to meet your gaze.

“Thanks for dinner,” he replies, completely off topic. “You really know how to cook.”

You grin. “Thanks. Good night, Kogami-san.”

“G’night.”

 

* * *

 

“Oh, come on, [Name]-chan. Don’t be so down,” Karanomori trills. “I’m sure by the next mission, you’ll be a-okay.”

“I just feel so useless,” you sigh from the couch behind her, taking a drag from your cigarette as you mull about how unfair it is that Division One is out without you. It’s been two days since your dinner with Kogami and surely enough Tsunemori had banned you from missions until you were one hundred percent healed.

Karanomori frowns, swiveling in her chair to turn and look at you before wheeling over and plucking the stick from your fingers. “Gimme that. You’ve successfully quit a long time ago. No need for you to get hooked on them again.”

“Hey!” you protest. “I can’t help it if this whole room smells of smoke and it tempted me.”

She sucks idly at the cigarette with shrug. “Oh, well. It’s mine now.” She winks at you and pushes back to her desk, ignoring your huff of annoyance and focusing her eyes on the screen, making sure Division One hasn’t tried to contact her.

“Do you ever worry for Kunizuka-san?” you ask quietly, your gaze focused on your freshly painted nails, courtesy of some varnish Karanomori had forced on you, saying that shade of deep burgundy was just perfect for you.

“Of course I do,” she answers bluntly, her quick and honest response almost catching you off guard.

“Oh,” you say, the only word your mouth can say for a moment. “Have you ever talked to her about it?”

She smiles with emotion, looking at you with a gentle gaze. “Yes, but it was only to show her I care. I’ve never tried to talk her out of it, if that’s what you’re wondering. Even if I tried, I doubt she’d listen. Besides, I know she’d rather be out here in the real world than in a rehabilitation center living her life out in apathy. I’d never want to take that from her. I want her to live to the fullest she can.”

“You really love her, don’t you?” you conclude.

“I do,” she grins. “Just don’t tell her that.”

You laugh in amusement, watching as she glances at her multiple screens and then back to you.

“What brought this question on?” she asks, eyeing you curiously. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually come to fall for Ginoza.”

“Not this again,” you groan. “Kogami won’t stop teasing me about it.”

“Oh? He’s teasing you, is he? That’s rare for him to get along well enough with people these days to do so. The only person I know he teases is Akane-chan.”

“Yeah, well, it’s like you spawned the sudden onslaught of it,” you grumble.

“Sorry, my bad,” she sings, but you can tell she really isn’t. “So, then. Do you suddenly like Ginoza? Oh, my, is it actually Shinya-kun?”

You groan even louder, tossing your head back and letting it rest on the sofa. “Karanomori, I don’t like anyone. Sure, they may be hot, but I’m not interested in getting into a relationship.”

“Aw, what a shame. If you did end up hooking up with Shinya-kun, I think you’d have amazing sex.” She winks and turns back to her desk, clicking away at the keyboard to do away with something that’s popped up on a screen, unrelated to the mission.

You give up on expressing your discomfort; you’re not actually that disturbed by the topic, you just don’t want her bringing it up around more people. “Well,” you smirk at her, “you can give up on that thought.”

“Also, you’d’ve been able to tell me what he’s like in bed,” she comments offhandedly.

“What who’s like in bed?” comes a deep voice from behind you.

Both you and Karanomori jerk your heads around to watch Kogami leisurely stroll in to the lab, his hands in his pockets as he eyes the two of you in amusement.

“Don’t tell me you’re talking about Gino?” he adds when you two blink owlishly at him.

“See!” you suddenly burst, your hand going up in exasperation as you turn back to Karanomori. “He won’t stop! It’s all your fault.”

“If you want I can drop a few hints the next time I talk to him,” he continues, ignoring your outburst as Karanomori laughs.

You pick up the closest thing to you, which happens to be a pack of cigarettes, and lob it at him. He catches it easily, barely phased, and plucks one from the pack, sticking it between his teeth and lighting it.

“I can’t wait to break your cool façade the next time we spar,” you grumble as you uncross your legs and rise to your feet. “I can’t stand the smell in this room anymore or that smug look on your face.” You look pointedly at Kogami and he merely shrugs, blowing out a stream of smoke. “I’m out of here.” You head to the door, passing by him as you do.

“Ah, Inspector, I actually came here for you,” he says.

You raise an eyebrow at him as you look at him from over your shoulder. “For me?”

“Yeah. To make sure you’re actually recovering and not doing anything rash.”

“What are you, my father?”

“Daddy kink!” Karanomori sings and you ignore her.

“Can we please leave before she puts more ideas into your head?” you plead, gripping the sleeve of his blazer and dragging him with you as you exit.

“You seem to get along well with Shion,” he notes as you move to the elevator.

You shrug. “She and I share a mutual interest in talking about the men of the CID.”

“You mean Gino,” he clarifies.

Instead of outright denying it or resorting to a false display of fluster, you say, “There are other attractive men besides Ginoza-san.”

“And they are?” The softest of a smirk plays against his lips from around his cigarette.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” you say, sending his smirk right back at him. The elevator stops on your floor. “Well, this is me. Have a good day, Kogami-san.”

“You, too,” he says, watching as you walk away, leaving him to press the button to his floor once the doors slide shut.

 

* * *

 

It’s an hour later that Kogami finds himself staring at the bookshelves in his room from his spot on the couch, wondering if you like books just as much as they interest him. He shakes the thoughts from his head; he’s been thinking about you far too much recently and it confuses him. There’s something about you that’s so inviting, drawing him in before he has a chance to realize what he’s doing, and it’s eerily similar to the qualities of a certain silver-haired criminal. He shakes away the thoughts again, this time physically swinging his head as if it will do the trick.

The communicator on his wrist lights up in blue before the ringing hits his ears, a small holographic projection emitting from the cuff displaying your name and face.

“Inspector,” he answers.

“I made too much curry,” you say, getting straight to the point.

There’s a chuckle and then you can hear movement on his end. “I’m on my way.”

He arrives at your door five minutes later, looking the same as earlier, except his blazer and tie are missing and his hair is a bit more disheveled.

“Thanks for coming. I was ready to give some to Karanomori if you’d declined,” you say, waving him in.

“Maybe you should give some to Gino,” he comments.

“The door is there and you can show yourself out,” you frown.

“Sorry,” he chuckles light-heartedly. “You’re amusing to tease.”

“Of course,” you say, moving to the kitchen. “The new Inspector, the rookie, prone to teasing. I hear you enjoy teasing Tsunemori, too.”

He shrugs, watching as you ladle chicken curry next to a serving of rice in a bowl. “She’s too cute not to.”

“Oh?”

He hears the change in your tone and regrets his words immediately.

“You think she’s cute, do you?” you press.

“It’s a matter of fact,” he brushes off easily.

“Or do you mean opinion?” you grin devilishly.

“Are you saying you don’t think she’s cute?” he asks, pitting you against her.

“I think she’s a beautiful woman,” you reply smoothly, without missing a beat. You pass him his bowl with a pair chopsticks and a spoon before serving yourself your own.

He gives up trying to reason with you, moving to the dining table before noticing a frozen frame on the screen of your T.V. in the living room. “Were you watching something?”

You look up and then glance at the T.V. “Oh, yeah. I was just about to sit down to watch a show when I thought of calling you. I don’t actually eat at my dining table.”

“A T.V. show?” he asks.

You nod, covering the pot of curry with its lid. “It’s called Black Mirror. It’s an American television show and it’s nearly a century old.” You look at him curiously for a second and then break into a knowing smile. “I think you’d like it.”

“I’ll look it up when I have some free time,” he says.

“Ah, it’s not available to the public. It’s been shown to affect people’s Psycho-Pass and was subsequently taken off every single platform you might’ve found it on. I only have it because I’m an Inspector,” you say.

“I bet it’s still risky for Inspectors,” he weighs in. “How did you get your hands on it?”

You smile mysteriously. “I have my ways.”

“I’ll assume they’re morally sound ways and won’t question any further. My Crime Coefficient already has me in the red, I might as well entertain myself with socially unacceptable leisure,” he says wryly.

“Said like a true optimist,” you grin, walking to the couch facing the T.V. and settling yourself on it.

He situates himself on the opposite end of it as you navigate to the very first episode and hit play. He’s eager to find out what amuses and entertains you, even if it’s not books. It allows him to gain some insight on the person you are after being so in the dark about your deeper thoughts.

Your bowls are empty by the end of the first episode and you’re fidgeting with your fingers as you look expectantly at Kogami. He wants to reach out and still your hands with his, it’s very distracting, but his mind is otherwise occupied with the events of the episode he’d just watched.

“Well, what did you think?” you ask, breaking through his thoughts.

“I can see why it’s been banned,” he replies.

You shrug. “That’s pretty obvious.” You get up, collecting the empty crockery on the coffee table in front of you and taking it to the sink. “What else?”

“The satire on politics was clever, but it was easy to see it was a way to mislead from the fact that the true hero of the story was how technology is blinding us from what is happening right around us,” he sums up.

“And isn’t that what’s happening in today’s world?” you say over the gushing of water in the sink as you rinse the bowls.

“I’m really questioning your credibility as an Inspector if you’re indulging in things such as these,” he remarks. “Either you’re really thick-skinned or you’re just too composed for it to be considered sane.”

“Aren’t the sane the most composed?” you challenge, wiping your hands as you eye him.

“It depends on where you’re coming from.”

“And where do you think I come from?” you ask softly, levelly, in a way that’s almost intimidating, daring him to question your origins.

“I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to attempt to answer that question,” he replies truthfully.

You smile unfeelingly. “I wonder if you’ll try to answer that question again sometime soon.”

“We’ll have to wait and see.” He knows what time it is and he’s already heading to the door.

You follow, bare feet quiet on the floor.

He pauses just before he’s about to head out. “Is there a reason you showed me that show?” His eyes bore into yours, looking for an answer that’ll prompt him to ask you again about your stand on the Sybil System.

Your head shakes minimally. “I just thought you’d enjoy it, knowing the type of person you are.”

“And what type of person do you think I am?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to attempt to fully answer that question,” you smile with a hint of dry humor, repeating his words back to him.

“I wonder if you’ll try to answer that question again sometime soon,” he replies easily.

“Only time will tell.” You reach over and tap the interface to open the door, allowing it to slide open as Kogami gazes down at you. You meet his gaze again unflinchingly. “Good night, Kogami-san.”

“Good night, [Last Name]-san.” He walks away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly longer chapter this time to make up for the time I took to update. College has begun again and I can't write as often as I want to.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated, especially on a fic that doesn't seem to have a large fanbase.


	10. Chapter 9

“There’s been no activity from Makishima,” Tsunemori states, frowning at her screen.

The fan above her rotates lazily, making the softest of noises in the office. Hinakawa’s rapid typing adds to the sounds along with a page turning from Kunizuka’s magazine. It’s been three days since dinner and Black Mirror with Kogami and things have been slow.

“I-Isn’t that good?” Hinakawa asks, his fingers idling for just a second as he looks at his superior.

“Not really,” you answer, absentmindedly stirring at a cup of coffee in your hands. “It could mean he’s cooking up something we’ll have no idea how to handle.”

“He probably is, knowing that man,” Kogami agrees darkly, his expression clouded in deep thought as he continues to gaze at the book in his hands.

“As much as it peeves me, we’ll just have to wait and see,” you say.

“Well, there is someone who might be able to help,” Kogami says tentatively, eyeing Tsunemori knowingly.

“You want to check in with him?” she asks, finally looking away from her monitor.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” he shrugs.

She bites her lower lip for a second in thought. “I think it would be a good opportunity for [Last Name] to meet him. He is, after all, one of our best analysts.”

“Shion would be pained to hear that,” you say offhandedly. “Who are we talking about, by the way?”

“You’ll see,” Kogami says mysteriously as he gets up, placing his book in the drawer of his desk and grabbing his blazer from the back of his chair. “Are you coming, Inspector Tsunemori?”

She shakes her head. “I doubt me being there will change anything and I’m sure you can update me when you’re back.”

He shrugs. “Alright.” He moves to the doors, stopping just before them as he realizes you still haven’t got up. “You coming, Inspector?”

You hum in acknowledgement, emptying a second sugar packet into your coffee before following him out.

“Where exactly are we going?” you ask when you finally get into the driver’s seat of your car in the basement. You place your travel cup into the holder to the left of you and start the engine.

“The isolation facility a few blocks away,” he replies, strapping his seatbelt on.

You put the car in drive, punching the location in so you know where to go, and exit headquarters. Once you hit the highway, you speed up before blindly slapping the area next to you for your coffee. Kogami’s hand beats you to it, brushing yours aside and placing your cup directly in your hand.

“Thanks,” you say with a small smile, sparing him a sideways glance.

To be honest, he’s been waiting for an opportunity like this, to take you to Saiga. He’s been itching to find out what makes you tick and figure out why you’re such a mystery. He lets his mind wander, wondering if Saiga will have the same difficulty he’s having trying to read you.

You park in an open lot, downing the last of your coffee before getting out and locking your car. You tuck your keys in the pocket of your black trench coat as you follow Kogami into the facility, flashing your ID whenever it’s needed to get through security.

The two of you finally reach a door and once again your flash your badge to unlock it. The doors slide open and inside lies a homely room. Books are stacked neatly within a shelf in the middle of the room, acting as a sort of divider from the more personal aspects of the room; a bathroom and a curtained bed. Right before you sits two couches with a coffee table between them and a dining table to the right of it. Seated on the couch facing you is an aging man with a pair of glasses resting on his nose, his dark eyes surveying the two of you calculatively. You know that look well and your walls go up stronger than they already are.

“It’s been a while, Professor Saiga,” Kogami greets.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Professor before you finally do?” is the man’s reply. He shifts his gaze to you. “And who’s this young woman?”

“I’m [Full Name], an Inspector for the MWPSB. Nice to meet you,” you introduce yourself, bowing slightly in respect.

“Saigi Joji,” he says in return. “Come in. Have a seat.” He rises to his feet as he moves to his bookshelf. There’s a coffee machine atop it with several mugs next to it. He fills three mugs with the dark brown liquid as Kogami and you settle yourselves on the other vacant couch. He places two cups in front of the two of you, keeping the third one to himself as he sits back down. “I should’ve been expecting you, especially after the events of the hanging corpses. Have you come to talk about that?”

“More or less,” Kogami replies. “But first, do you mind displaying your skills to Inspector [Last Name]?”

“Ah, you’re a newbie,” Saiga says, focusing his attention on you. It’s a not a question, but a mere observation.

“I am indeed,” you smile, acutely aware of Kogami’s intense gaze on you. “Two months on the job.”

He hums in acknowledgement, his eyes still surveying you as he adjusts his glasses. “Do you know who I am?”

“No.” You blink simply.

“Then why have you constructed walls around yourself? Are you trying to guard yourself from being profiled?”

“And if I am? What does that tell you about me?” You eye him levelly.

“That you’re hiding something.”

“A natural conclusion,” you agree.

“Something big?” He watches you for a moment, looking for any noticeable tells. “Something small?”

“I don’t see why I should tell a latent criminal,” you answer.

“A clever reply. An easy way to avoid the question without me being able to follow up for more since you’re reminding me of our positions,” he elaborates. “Kogami, you have one hell of a partner here.”

He chuckles in response. “Indeed I do.”

“Where did you learn to create such a blank canvas of yourself?” Saiga asks you.

“As I grew, I realized different people possessed different characteristics. After a while, it’s easy to categorize them and notice them for what they truly are. Once you know each sign for what they are, it’s simple to recognize them in yourself and either do away with it or disguise them. If people don’t normally display these characteristics, engaging in a conversation with them will bring about tells that reveal more about the person you can not see from just the surface. It’s all about observation, and being someone who does not like to be observed, I took a great obsession in observing how to be unobserved, how to fit in, how to stand out, how to blend or even how to disappear.” You pause, carefully watching him. “Does that tell you anything more about me, Saiga-san?” you finish.

“It does, but you intended that, didn’t you.” It’s not a question, but an observation. He sighs, finally taking his eyes off of you as he sips from his mug before pushing his glasses up. “Very few people I have met possess the qualities you do. I’m impressed, to say the least, and I doubt I’ll get anything more out of you. So, Kogami, why have you come?”

“I’d like to know your thoughts on the recent killings,” he begins. “We stopped the criminal carrying them out, but they were orchestrated by none other than Makishima Shogo. It’s his first act ever since he escaped from the hyper-oats factory and I’m a little surprised it took him so long to resurface. Do you have any idea as to why?”

“From everything you’ve told me so far, his little stunt at the factory with the oats was supposed to be his endgame. I’m sure after that, he needed time to recover from his injuries and to form a new plan of action. Not to mention, his main goal is to bring about the fall of the Sybil System, so his plans can’t be simple and erratic. He’s not that kind of man. Everything he does has a purpose. All I can predict is that he took more time than necessary formulating a new plan, one which is to thwart Sybil’s existence and need in society,” Saiga deduces. “What do you think was the point of the most recent killings?”

“The same as all the others. To show even in a society controlled by Sybil, there are still criminals running around, that Sybil isn’t the perfect solution to our lives,” replies Kogami.

“No,” you disagree. “To create a Psycho-Hazard.”

“Correct, [Last Name]-san. To citizens witnessing such a gruesome image, it’s only logical it would increase their stress, and hence, cloud they’re Psycho-Pass. By the time the MWPSB comes to know of the act, a large amount of people have already seen it and subsequently have had their stress rise, especially with the location of all the hangings. Not to mention with the availability of the internet, even more people have seen it.” He takes a long pull from his mug of coffee. “It’s probable Makishima is trying to distress the entire population to the point that everyone’s hue is darkened. It may take time, but it is entirely possible. As long as he’s out there, he may keep at it, constantly finding and influencing new people to commit his crimes. Your only option is to bring down Makishima himself,” Saiga concludes.

“That’s the difficult part, isn’t it, when the man is such a hard one to locate,” you sigh in annoyance. “I need a smoke.” You look at Kogami expectantly.

He remembers you never carry any and hands you his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. You take it gratefully and walk out of the room, letting Kogami know he can meet you in the parking lot. Once you’re gone, he speaks freely.

“Professor, what do you think of Inspector [Last Name]?” he asks.

“She is someone I would be wary of,” Saiga admits. “There are very few people I have met with her level of ability to cloak herself from profiling. I believe she’s hiding something big; the nature of it evades me. For all I know, it could be nothing of importance, but if it’s not, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Then again, you’ll never know and I don’t want you to be harsh on her for no reason at all.”

Kogami nods at this, brows furrowed in thought about your persona. “She is my Inspector, so there’s not much I can do, nor can I treat her any differently.”

“That is true, but,” Saiga studies his former student for a moment, “you have gotten close to her, am I correct?”

He shrugs. “You could say I have.”

“Is it completely platonic… no, romantic… no, somewhere in between, maybe a little more towards platonic,” Saiga finalizes, as he watches Kogami’s expression change. “There is a lot the body can say about you, and I also know your tells - no, I will not tell you what they are. However, beware of your emotions, Kogami. Don’t let them overpower you. She’s an Inspector who may be hiding something you’re not ready for. Don’t forget that.”

“It’s not in the least bit romantic,” Kogami denies, rising to his feet and straightening his blazer.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Saiga smirks. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“It was nice meeting you, Professor,” he says, flashing his badge to open the door.

“Stop calling me that. I’m not your professor anymore,” Saiga frowns.

Kogami simply smiles, waving in farewell as he leaves.

He arrives in the parking lot a few minutes later to find you hissing back at a drone from your seat in your car. You have the window rolled down and you’re glaring at the little robot as he slides into the passenger seat, closing the door after him.

“What was that about?” he asks, strapping himself in.

“The drone tried to zap me when I tried to smoke, even after I sat in the car. Stupid thing. I’m ready to run it over,” you grumble, starting the engine and shifting into drive, pulling the car out of the lot.

“I’m sure the MWPSB wouldn’t like that,” he chuckles, taking a cigarette from the pack on the dashboard.

You hand him his lighter as you pull out of the lot, very nearly missing the drone on your way out.

 

* * *

 

“So,” Tsunemori begins, idly swirling her glass of white wine. “What did Saiga-san think about [Last Name]?”

She’s sitting in Kogami’s living room, checking in with him about his meeting with Saiga. Kogami is trying his level best to make rice and a simple curry, and Tsunemori can’t help but laugh at him.

He sighs, switching off the stove and leaving it for a later time. “Before I tell you, I have a question for you.”

“Ask away,” she permits.

“What are your thoughts on [Last Name]-san?” he asks, not looking at her as he pours himself a drink of scotch.

Tsunemori takes a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking. “She’s an intelligent woman and so far she’s been a great Inspector for Division One. Her skills are remarkable and she's very strong in the field. Not only does she display commendable critical thinking, but she is also friendly enough to be a well-rounded team player.”

“Only good things to say about her, huh?” Kogami notes.

“Well,” Tsunemori ponders, “I do have my doubts with [Last Name]. For someone so new to her job, she comes with too much skill for a new recruit. It’s a little suspicious, to be honest. She’s just a little too good at what she does for someone with her level of experience.”

“Unless she’s had experience prior to her joining the MWPSB,” Kogami considers.

“What do you mean?” she asks, brows furrowed.

He finally moves to the couch adjacent to her, fixing his eyes on her innocent features. “Saiga-san’s analysis of her wasn’t as in depth as it was for you, simply because he couldn’t read her.”

“W-what?!” Tsunemori sputters. “How come?”

“As he noted, she’s constructed walls around herself, carefully crafting a blank canvas for herself so that no one can gain any insight on who she is. She’s very well educated on profiling; I dare say just as good as Saiga-san. She says she’s someone who does not like to be observed, so she observed what makes others what they are and how to eliminate certain characteristics she discovers from her own self. When she came across people who were not so easily read from the surface, she engaged in interacting with them, learning about tells humans possess and how to read those as well. With that newfound knowledge, she was able to easily do away with signs and tells her body told others,” Kogami recounts.

Tsunemori takes a while to absorb all the new information, her eyes trained on her glass before flickering back to Kogami. “What did Saiga-san think of her explanation?”

“He believes she’s hiding something. He said for all he knows it could be nothing of importance, but if it’s not, it could be a problem,” he says.

“But we don’t want to jump to any conclusions,” she says.

“Exactly,” he agrees. “Which is why we should go about our lives as normal, but always be prepared for anything when it comes to her.”

Tsunemori nods slowly. “And what about Makishima?”

“Saiga-san thinks his stunt at the factory was supposed to be his end game, so he took his time constructing a new plan. He believes Makishima is trying to create constant Psycho-Hazards to cloud the hue of Japan’s population with all the public displays of victims. Every time a new victim is strung up, a considerable amount of citizens are affected, stressing them out and subsequently clouding their Psycho Pass. If all of Japan starts to display unhealthy Psycho-Pass’, Sybil’s existence will be called into question, as it will be ultimately failing at it’s job to maintain a healthy society. In the end, Makishima only wants to bring about the demise to the Sybil System, and even if we keep catching the criminals carrying out the crimes, it won’t mean anything unless we catch the main mastermind himself,” Kogami recalls from his conversation earlier.

“That is true. Until we catch Makishima, crimes will keep taking place. He will always find someone new to brainwash and have carry out his elaborate plans. But it’s not so easy to catch him when he constantly evades us,” Tsunemori mulls over.

“There is a way to catch him” Kogami suggests.

She quirks an eyebrow in question. “There is?”

“Apart from Sybil, what has Makishima wanted?” He waits a moment, allowing her to think. “He’s show an interest in me. I could be bait.”

“No,” comes Tsunemori’s instant reply. Her jaw is set and her tone is final.

“It’s our only option,” he urges. “We can’t keep allowing him to do as he wants. These are people’s lives on the line. We have a duty to protect them.”

“I know that, goddammit!” she yells. “You think Yuki, Kagari and Masaoka don’t remind me of that everyday? You don’t think every victim I couldn’t save haunts me to this day? But I also have a duty to protect you, as much as you seem hell bent to constantly put your life on the line.”

“It’s my job. I’m a latent criminal,” says Kogami calmly. “My life does not matter to Sybil.”

“It matters to me! It matters to Ginoza-san, Kunizuka-san, Karanomori-san, Saiga-san and maybe even [Last Name]-san. Do you ever stop to think how your life affects other? For once in your life, try not to be so selfish!” she screams.

Kogami is left speechless at her outburst, watching in silence as she rises to her feet as she leaves her glass on the table in front of her. It finally strikes him how much this woman has changed from the time he’d first met her as an innocent, inexperienced rookie.

“When you’ve come to your senses, you can try talking to me. Until then, figure out another way to track down Makishima,” she says levelly and then leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, would you look at that. Another chapter in barely over a day. I really don't know how I got this out to fast.
> 
> It doesn't really have much friendly/romantic interaction between the reader and Kogami, but I kind of wanted this chapter to build on the plot and create some more depth to the reader and Kogami's thoughts on her. But we do get to see Saiga break down Kogami's feelings for the reader, as much as he tries to deny them or doesn't realize them.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated and tbh, it keeps me going.


	11. Chapter 10

Makishima is kissing you, hot and heavy, and a part of you likes it; the old you. She wants to give in and let him consume you, but the current you grips his shoulders painfully hard, trying to get him off you. It’s futile; he’s like molten lava, searing into your skin and melting into you, becoming a part of you. Your eyes are squeezed shut, but when they flutter open in response to Makishima’s hands branding into the skin of your hips, you see his amber eyes smoldering, watching you with a predatory glint.

He releases you, finally, but your body is already burnt, his imprint fresh on your flesh. You back away rapidly, carelessly trying to get away from the monster in front of you and not registering the lack of purchase behind you as you tip backwards. You crash into chilling waters and they should feel welcome on your scorched skin, but they are anything so. They eat into your bones and settle into them, dragging you deeper into the dark abyss. You’re left bucking in the weightless expanse, watching through blurry vision as Makishima peers at you from above with nonchalance, letting your lack of oxygen consume you.

Black clouds the edges of your vision and you’ve given up struggling, accepting your fate, until a strong arm wraps around your waist, pulling you further down. With the last of your strength, you thrash against the unknown being, but they hold you fast. Fresh air suddenly hits your lips and you gasp hungrily, coughing up water and filling your lungs with as much oxygen as possible.

“[Name]! [Name]!” calls your saviour, and you’re sure you’ve heard that voice before, and as you turn to look at him, your suspicions are confirmed.

“Kogami?” you rasp.

His hand cradles your head tenderly, his cool grey eyes displaying a warmth you’ve never seen in them. You lay in his lap and for some reason he’s shirtless, not that you’re complaining, but you’re suddenly very aware you’re only in your undergarments.

“I was so worried. I thought I was going to lose you,” he says, pressing his forehead to yours.

“W-what?” you stammer in bewilderment.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again. I love you so much,” he continues, ignoring your confusion.

“What are you talking about? This isn’t like you, Kogami-san. You don’t love me,” you deny.

“Oh. You’re right,” he says, his features draining of all emotion. “I’m wearing the wrong face.”

You watch in horror as his face slowly morphs in Makishima’s, a devilish smile curving his lips, and then you’re screaming.

 

* * *

 

You wake to an earsplitting shrieking, only to register the noise is coming from your own mouth. Your body is drenched in cold sweat and there’s a subtle light glowing softly through your curtains. Your dream has left you baffled and you have no idea what to make of it. Makishima is a constant visitor in your nightmares and you can never seem to get rid of him, but Kogami is new, although you have a creeping feeling about why he’s suddenly a new addition to your dreams, something to do with feelings you’d promised yourself never to indulge in again after Makishima.

After your meeting with Saiga, you’ve kept a distance from Kogami for the past week. A little too much had been said, or not said, during your visit to the isolation facility and it’s better to allow some time to let the whole situation blow over, becoming something of the past rather than the present.

Meeting him during office hours is inevitable, but you keep away from dinner invitations and sparring sessions. It’s easier this way. It avoids any unnecessary suspicion from Kogami and it allows you to figure out why you’ve started feeling a certain way for him, even if it’s just an inkling of emotion.

You’re not even sure what it is you’re feeling. It could be nothing. It could be your mind just craving a close friend, some company, someone to talk to in times of need, someone to console you, hold you, kiss away your fears. Wait, what? No. No kissing. No holding either. Your time with Makishima has scarred you for life and you don’t want anything romantic in the slightest ever again.

You groan, annoyed at yourself for letting your thoughts run as you glance at the clock. It reads six o’clock and you know you’re not going to get anymore sleep even though you only have work in the afternoon. You swing your legs over the side of the bed, letting them dangle as you rub the morning grogginess out of your eyes. Sliding out of bed, you head for the bathroom, brushing your teeth and washing your face with icy cold water as you decide your plans for the day. Maybe you’ll hit the gym.

Donning a pair of black calf-length leggings and a matching sports bra, you slip into a baggy t-shirt to cover your exposed stomach before shoving your feet into a pair of shoes and grabbing a bottle of water. You tie your hair on the way up to gym floor, securing it tightly in a ponytail.

The gym is empty when you arrive. You need to warm up first, so you tackle the treadmill, clocking a good thirty minutes on it before moving onto sparring with a droid. It doesn’t take you long to keep turning it up a level until you’re fighting on its highest sparring level, easily keeping pace with it as you swiftly dodge, parry, kick and punch, all of it muscle memory at this point.

Just as you launch yourself into the air, ready to kick the living hell out of the droid, it goes lifeless. Unable to stop your already built momentum, your foot slams into it regardless and it flies several feet back, hitting the floor pathetically. You hit the mats hard on all fours, staring at the brutalized droid in confusion.

“What the…?” you mumble to yourself, rising to your feet before finding the culprit.

Kogami stands to the side, the droid’s remote in his hand, an expression of barely concealed amusement on his face.

“Great,” you say sarcastically. “Now the Property Management Division is gonna harass me for this.”

“My bad,” he apologizes. “I’ll take the heat for it.”

You register the tone of his voice. “There’s a catch?”

“I’ll take the heat for it if you spar with me,” he clarifies.

“Me? I’m sure Ginoza-san is a good enough sparring partner. Even a droid would be a good enough partner,” you say.

“Says the woman who had a droid set to it’s highest level and was taking it on easily,” he smirks.

You sigh. “Fine. If it spares me the brunt of having to deal with those stuck up dicks in the Property Management Division, I’ll spar with you.”

“Great.”

He puts away the droid while you take off your t-shirt and wipe at the sweat streaking your body with a clean towel. You haphazardly fold the top, tucking it in a vacant cubby hole, before moving back to the mats.

“I do hope you hit me with something better than last time,” you taunt. “It felt like I was fighting an old man.”

“Oh, is that a challenge I hear?” he grins, joining you on the mats and getting into position, his eyes lingering a second too long on the curves of your waist.

You fail to catch his gaze on your body and shrug. “Maybe.”

“Well, then. I won’t go easy on you,” he warns.

“I expect as much,” you smile, abruptly shifting stance and aiming a high kick to his jaw.

He easily deflects it and you advance with a flurry of jabs and punches until he traps your left arm with his right hand. The action leaves him open for a short moment and you take it, aiming you free fist at his torso, getting in a good strike. He grunts and just as you try to get in another blow, he clasps the back of your neck and knees you in the stomach.

You double over in pain, your wound still not completely healed. Sure, you don’t need bandages anymore, but anything too harsh and it hurts sharply. He seems to realize his mistake when it takes you a moment too long to straighten up.

“Shit,” he curses, releasing you from his grip. “Sorry. Do you need a minute?”

“No, no. I’m fine,” you say, straightening and looking up at him. He’s looking at your stomach and you look down too. The skin there is pink and raw, but that’s seems to be the worst of it. “Let’s continue.”

“Are you sure? We can take a break if you want,” he suggests.

“Yeah, I’m sure. What do you take me for? A damsel in distress?” you ask.

“The way you were that day in the warehouse, you could say that. I did have to carry you,” he smirks.

You grumble under your breath, getting into stance.

He steps forward, right fist punching through the air and towards your head. You grab his wrist with your right hand, stepping forward and to the left so you’re facing his back, using your left elbow to jab into his side. He emits the softest of grunts, letting you know you can put more force into your blows while he twists forward and punches you just below your ribcage with his free hand.

You hiss in pain, releasing his arm and jumping back, only for him to drop to the floor and sweep your legs right out from under you. You hit the mats hard on your back and he keeps you pinned with his hands on your arms. He’s not directly above you, but kneeling to your right side, and you swing your legs in the air, maneuvering your right leg around his left arm and your other leg around his neck, clutching it right behind your knee.

You force your legs down, bringing him with them and he hits the floor as you roll onto your knees and hands. You’re first to rise fully to your feet and you kick straight out, hitting him right in the jaw while he’s still kneeling. He collapses back to the mat and you look down at him triumphantly.

“Who’s the damsel now?” you grin.

He groans, rubbing his jaw as he gets to his feet. “You’ve got one hell of a kick, I’ll give you that.”

“Why, thank you.” You move to the cubbies, grabbing your water bottle and taking a couple quick gulps.

He follows you, tugging his t-shirt off and discarding it in an empty cubby. “Round 2?”

“You’re on,” you simper after you allow yourself a second of discrete ogling.

This goes on for a while, Kogami and you exchanging blows until one of you comes out victorious before following up with another round of sparring. You’re on your fifth round, each one getting progressively longer and intense, when you sweep the floor. He jumps nimbly in the air, evading your leg, but you simply twist again, still low to the floor as you arch a leg through the air, striking him in the torso with a backward kick. He stumbles back briefly, but it’s not enough to deter him as he wraps his arms around your torso from behind and tries to hold you down with sheer strength.

You twist minutely, elbowing him in the face, and then wrap your arms around his neck, jumping into the air and using momentum to fling your body sharply down, bringing Kogami with you with the help of your arms. You twist again at the last moment, landing on your back, but send him crashing to the ground painfully. You jerk your legs back, kicking into the air to land on your feet.

He chuckles softly from his spot on the mats. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

You shrug, moving to grab your towel and wipe the sheen from your skin as you easily lie. “I had a brother who was way too into wrestling for his own good, so I had to pick up my own skills to keep him in his place and it slowly became a hobby.”

He slowly gets to his feet, watching as you wipe at the sweat on the sides of your abdomen. Your hair is gradually coming out of its hold, but you don’t seem to notice, more bothered with adjusting your sports bra. He allows himself to admire the way the muscles in your back ripple as you move, his eyes trailing to the subtle line of your spine before moving lower. Holy shit, you have a nice ass. He shouldn’t expect any less from someone who’s as fit as you are, but somehow it’s his first time noticing.

You turn back to look at him and he averts his gaze, choosing to run a hand through his slick hair. “Another round, or are you tired of being decked by a woman smaller than you?” you tease.

“When you put it like that, of course I’m going to say another round,” he smirks.

The two of you get into stance and he’s the first to strike, his legs kicking out at yours. You dance out of the way and as you do, your own leg streaks through the air, aiming for his head. He blocks it, catching it with his hands and twisting his whole body. You fly, landing several feet away on your back with a pained groan. He advances and you kick out with both feet, hitting him in the torso. He stumbles back and you kip-up onto your feet, your hair finally coming undone from all the stress on the band. Then, before you even know what he’s doing, he runs at you, tackling you to the floor.

You hit it with a thud, eyes shut and not able to do much as Kogami pins you to the mat, holding your wrists on either side of your head and, learning from his past experience, keeping your legs down with his. When you finally crack your eyes open, he’s hovering over you, breathing hard and looking down at you with his grey-blue eyes. There’s something smoldering beneath his gaze, but you can’t really make out what it is, instead blaming it on your heated sparring session. You can feel his minty breath fanning over your face from his proximity and you suddenly register he is way too close for your very confused and suppressed feelings.

He feels you shift minimally below him, but makes no move to get up; he’s too lost in your gaze and the silent fire burning within it, hiding something he can’t quite seem to pick out. You hair is splayed out behind your head and it makes you look so different from what he’s used to, almost enticing in a way. He has a sudden urge to run his hand through your hair, bunch it up in his hand and tug on it while he- Wait, what? Are you lifting your head? Are you actually going to kiss him? He freezes; he doesn’t know how to react.

You suddenly jerk you head up, slamming it into Kogami’s. He had not been expecting that. His hold on you loosens and you wiggle an arm and a leg free, using it to flip him and ram him into the mat. You settle atop him, pressing a firm hand to his bare chest to keep him down with a look of triumph.

“I think it’s clear who the damsel in distress is,” you grin.

He chuckles lowly, shaking off his earlier feelings as he wipes a hand down his face. “You really are something else.”

You rise to your feet, running a hand through your hair to get it out of your face. “Thanks.”

You hold out a hand to him and he takes it, allowing you to pull him up. Your palm is slick and soft against his, and he has to nudge himself to not hold on for longer than needed. You move to the cubbies, towelling dry and slipping back into your t-shirt, but leaving your hair loose.

“Had enough?” he asks, watching you drink hungrily from your bottle of water.

You hum in reply. “Yeah. I think it’s about time I take a shower before I start reeking. If you want to continue sparring, Ginoza-san is here.” You jerk your chin in said man’s direction as he makes his way to the mats.

“Are you sure you don’t want to watch?” he asks impishly.

You roll your eyes, but a small smile stretches your lips all the same as you bump Kogami’s hip with your own, making him stumble away to regain his balance. “Why would I want to watch two _boys_ fill the room with enough testosterone to make a small crowd of girls faint? I’d rather treat myself to a long, soothing shower.”

The image of you sudsing up under a stream of water flits across his mind and he mentally kicks himself. “Fair enough.”

“I’ll see you later in the office, Kogami,” you bid in farewell, walking away and nodding in greeting at Ginoza as you pass him.

It doesn’t take long for you reach your place and shimmy out of your damp clothes, stepping into your shower and sighing in bliss as the hot water hits your skin. The memory of Kogami hovering over you after flooring you resurfaces in your mind. He’d been so close, the pressure of his limbs on yours almost welcome. The look in his eyes had ignited something in you, something buried away for so long, chained in shackles and forced to live in darkness. And you’re going to keep it that way. This new chance at a sub-normal life had no place for the feelings threatening to resurface, and no, you would not name said feelings, for naming it would be akin to bringing it back to life.

You’d left that part of yourself in the past and nothing would change that. Not even a devastatingly hot colleague who thinks the same way you do and shares your views of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emerging emotions, suppressed feelings and heated sparring sessions. What an interesting cocktail.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


	12. Chapter 11

Ever since Sasayama’s death, Kogami has been a man of mission. He holds an utter disregard for anything not pertaining to Makishima or his job. Second thoughts aren’t given to petty things such as relationships, his friendship with Ginoza slowly severed by his obsession with a man only known by a blurry picture and his name, Makishima.

Now, Kogami wonders if you’re here to change that.

You’re a woman of mystery, but despite his wariness to that side of you, he can’t help but be intrigued by every single aspect of your being. Maybe intrigued isn’t the right word anymore. He may have felt like that when he first started interacting with you, but now his feelings are more akin to attraction.

You’ve begun to invade his dreams and he doesn’t know how to deal with it. Some days he’s left confused, because you’ve just joined Makishima in his crimes and you’re scorning Kogami for how much of a kiss-up of a dog he is to Sybil. Other days he wakes up aroused and lusting for more of your touch, no matter how unreal it is. And sometimes he finds himself gasping and clawing at his chest because you’ve just shot him as your duty as an Inspector, your face drained of emotion, glassy eyes unfeeling as you pull the trigger.

He ultimately decides it’s best to go on as usual, maintaining a healthy Inspector-Enforcer relationship, but cutting off anything more than that. Getting you to teach him how to cook is off the table and so is following up on those Black Mirror episodes at your place, to hell with how much he liked eating home-cooked food again or enjoyed watching a TV show bound to increase his Crime Coefficient.

You’re making it awfully easy for him, though. You’re keeping your distance for some reason and it’s been a week since his sparring session with you. Maybe you’ve finally realized how disdainful Enforcers really are after all. He finds himself hoping that’s not the case for you when it comes to him, but maybe it’s for the best in the end.

He comes to know that’s not the case at all one day in the office.

 

* * *

 

You’re idly reading a book at your desk, eyes lazily passing over line after line. It’s that day that Kogami comes to learn you do, in fact, read books.

Tsunemori sighs, rubbing at her face in frustration, and you glance up from your book.

“Something bothering you, Tsunemori?” you question. Kogami’s attention is drawn from his own book by your voice.

“This silence is getting to me,” she explains, although it’s not much of an explanation, but you can tell she’s in a bad state of mind anyway.

It’s enough to make you put your book away. “Sorry, did you want us to be making a lot of sound?” you ask wryly.

She cracks half a smile, but it doesn’t really reach her eyes. “No, I mean this silence from Makishima. It’s been three weeks since Takahashi abducted you and nothing from the madman since then.”

“You’re wondering what he’s up to and if it’s taking so much time, whether it’s going to be something more than we can handle,” you state, correctly relaying what’s on her mind.

She nods. “Exactly. I should be grateful we have this peace right now, but all it’s making me do is get more anxious.”

“There’s always my way of doing things,” says Kogami, not looking at Tsunemori and instead focusing his gaze on his book.

“No,” says Tsunemori firmly. It’s apparent in her voice, her tone causing Hinakawa to rip his eyes from his screen and look back and forth between her and Kogami. Her word is final and there’s no arguing, but you ask anyway.

“What? His way?” you question, brows furrowing in confusion.

“Kogami-san thought of a way to lure Makishima out of hiding, but it’s a reckless idea and I won’t stand for it,” she says strongly, glaring at him from her spot at her desk. She knows he can feel the intensity of her gaze even if he’s averting his.

“And what’s this idea?” you ask.

Tsunemori keeps her lips shut, not even entertaining the idea so much as to speak of it. Kogami sighs and looks up in turn, closing his novel and placing it on his desk. “Makishima won’t just show up for anything besides Sybil on a silver platter, but he has shown an interest in me. I suggested I be used as bait,” he says. By this point Ginoza has turned in his chair, watching the situation unfold.

“Absolutely not,” you reply flatly.

“Oh, and what’s your reason?” he asks, indifference apparent in his tone.

Tsunemori is about to speak, possibly rain hell down on Kogami, but you hold a hand up, letting her know you can handle it. The whole office now has their attention on you, but you don’t feel self conscious in the slightest. If anything, you hope it makes Kogami feel worse about his proposition.

“The fact that I won’t have your life on the line,” you say as if it’s obvious.

“Is my life really that important, Inspector?” he challenges, grey eyes slicing into yours.

“Have you truly lost all sight of life over your obsession with Makishima?” Your words slice into him; it’s the same sharp knife you’d stabbed him with previously when you’d fought in the infirmary.

“And what if I have?” It’s not an acceptance or a denial. The two of you really need to stop replying to each other’s questions with more questions.

“Then allow me to ground you,” you smile and it’s anything but sweet. It sends chills up Hinakawa’s arms and a little warning flag waves in Ginoza’s mind. “I sincerely doubt Masaoka-san gave up his life just so you could throw it away at the drop of a hat. He put his faith in you, didn’t he, from what I’ve heard.”

Kogami’s gaze darts to Ginoza, suddenly finding shame within himself, but the silent Enforcer is too busy watching you get up from your seat.

“I’m sure Ginoza-san will thrash whatever is left of you once Makishima is done with you,” you continue. Your eyes shift to said Enforcer. “Tell me if I’m wrong, Ginoza-san.”

“Not one bit,” he replies without emotion.

You’re stalking Kogami now, like a predator cornering its prey. Ginoza hasn’t seen anything like it in his life. Yes, he’s seen it when Kogami is the predator, but he’s never seen Kogami become prey. Despite his misconceptions about you, he’s finds a newfound respect for you.

You return the intensity of your gaze back to Kogami. “Do you really not realize the weightage of your life when it comes to others?”

“Who the hell is going to mourn the loss of my life?” Kogami argues. “I’m just a latent criminal. There’s always a replacement for me in this Division.”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” you say, sarcasm dripping from your words. “For starters, Kunizuka-san. You were the one who recruited her and gave her the job she has today. I’m sure she’s grateful for it, correct me if I’m wrong Kunizuka-san.”

She shakes her head in response.

“She wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you,” you carry on. “Secondly, Ginoza-san, as much as he will deny it, will not accept your fate. Is he not your friend?” There’s a scoff from said Enforcer. “Did the two of you not join the MWPSB together as best friends? Try as he might, he can not deny the importance you play in his life.” Cue another scoff from the tall man. “I believe Tsunemori has already spoken for herself, but seeing as it didn’t get through your thick skull, allow me to continue.”

You’re standing right before Kogami now and he has to tilt his chin up to look at you. You don’t spare him the effort to tilt yours down, simply lowering your gaze to make him feel smaller than he is. “Let’s talk about Sasayama Mitsuru for a moment, shall we?” you proceed, well aware you’re stepping out of bounds, but you couldn’t care less when you know it’s the only way to ignite some kind of shame in Kogami.

“[Last Name]-san,” Tsunemori cautions, knowing you’re treading on a touchy subject, but you ignore her.

“What do you think he’d say if he were to see you now? You’re so far gone down a hole you dug yourself you have no idea what light feels like anymore. Do you think Sasayama-san would’ve wanted this fate for you? If he were to see you now, I believe he’d think you’re pretty pathetic, willing to chase down a man so much that you’re okay with losing your life over him. He did not die for you to lose all sight of yourself and give up on life.” You finally bend over, grabbing a fistful of his collar and tugging it upward as you lean in menacingly, cold gaze fixing him rigidly. “And finally, I will not have one of my _partners_ put his life on the line just so he can chase an obsession. I will _not_ lose you, do you understand me?”

He’s left staring at you. He does not lose his composure despite your taunts with Sasayama. Instead, he feels an overwhelming urge to crush his lips to yours right there in front of everyone. The feeling immediately vanishes when you straighten up, letting go of his shirt as you turn on your heel. You stride to your desk, collecting your book, and walk out of the office without so much as a backward glance.

 

* * *

 

There’s a full glass of wine in your hand when the chime of your doorbell rings through your dorm. You’re left sighing in relief when you find out it’s Tsunemori and not Kogami. You invite her in, offering her a glass of wine as she seats herself on your couch.

“I’m sorry about this afternoon,” you apologize, sitting down on an armchair adjacent to her. “I’d just had enough with Kogami and his bull-headedness.”

She laughs softly in understanding. “I know how you feel. He drives me crazy too sometimes.”

“I should probably apologize to him,” you sigh. “I stepped over the line when I brought up Sasayama-san.”

“You did,” she agrees. “But sometimes I think that’s what works best on Kogami-san. It’s similar to hitting him with the Non-Lethal Paralyzer.”

You laugh, recalling what Kogami had once told you. “He told me about that. How you shot him on your first day of work right in the spine. What a first impression to make.”

“I was mortified,” she admits, smiling at the memory. “He wouldn’t stop teasing me for months after that.”

“I can imagine. It was just one time he overheard Karanomori suggesting I bed Ginoza-san to relieve stress and he won’t stop teasing me with it,” you laugh.

Tsunemori nearly chokes on her wine upon hearing the idea of you taking Ginoza to bed. “That’s sounds just like Karanomori-san.”

You smile absent-mindedly, snapping out of it as you realize the time. “It’s getting late. I’m sure you want to go home. Is there any reason in particular you came to see me?”

“I just wanted to thank you for backing me up against Kogami’s plan to use himself as bait. I wasn’t sure if you’d be for or against it,” she says.

“No one deserves to put their life on the line so recklessly,” you explain. “Of course I’d be against it. We Inspectors are in charge of our Enforcers. If they die, their deaths are on our hands.”

“I’m glad you share my views, [Last Name],” she smiles, rising to her feet. “Thank you for the wine. I’ve never tried this one before. Maybe you should take it to Kogami when you go to apologize.”

You frown. “I am not looking forward to that conversation.”

“I’m sure it won’t be pretty, but what about our lives is?” she smiles ruefully as she makes her way to your door. “Good night, [Last Name].”

You wave to her in farewell as you watch her step out and move towards the elevator. “Good night, Tsunemori.”

 

* * *

 

When you arrive at Kogami’s front door at nine in the evening and ring the bell, he doesn’t open it immediately, instead choosing to speak to your through the intercom. You know by coming here and actually having a proper conversation with him face to face is like offering yourself up on a silver platter to the very feelings you’ve been unsuccessfully squashing to the deepest recesses of your mind, but you know it’s the right thing to do, so to hell with the escaping emotions. Maybe they might be good for you.

“What a pleasant surprise seeing you here this evening, Inspector,” he greets, his voice strained into politeness and clipped with barely concealed venom.

You fidget nervously, playing with the hem of your light grey t-shirt. “Kogami-san, can we please talk?”

“Oh, I think you did enough talking for the both of us this afternoon,” he replies, his words practically dripping with uninhibited spite.

“Kogami-san, please,” you say. “I stepped out of bounds and I’m here to make amends to my mistake.”

You wait in silence for several long minutes, anxiously shuffling from foot to foot. When there’s still no response from him and you’re left with the crushing weight of your regret and mortification, you finally admit defeat, turning around and making your way back down the way you came.

You’re ten feet away when the soft hiss of a door meets your ears and you look over your shoulder, finding Kogami leaning against the doorframe as he stares you down, his arms crossed over his chest. He jerks his head towards the interiors of his dorm and you don’t miss the chance, turning on your heel and passing by him as you enter his living quarters.

He watches as you observe your surroundings, taking in the starkness of his home, everything dull and metal and devoid of colour. You realize, with numb interest, that this is your first time in his apartment. His eyes trail over your figure from behind you, noting the messy bun, the smooth expanse of the nape of your neck, your loose grey top, your blue denim jeans that only reach till just above your ankles and the white canvas shoes enclosing your feet. It’s all so casual, no one would even think you’re an Inspector for the CID if they saw you like this. It reminds him how out of reach you are to him.

“You wanted to talk?” he prods when you fail to make any sort of noise after entering his home. He’s leaning against the railing of the steps to the door, his arms still crossed over his chest as he eyes you.

You start, shoulders jerking, and turn around to look at him, but not his eyes, noting his casual attire of dark grey sweatpants and a form-fitting black tee that hugs his broad chest. You hover awkwardly in the middle of the room, not sure where to stand, where to sit, how to be, where to start. “I do,” you finally get out. “But I’m afraid bringing up the topic will open the fresh wounds I have inflicted from earlier.”

“So, you’re going to dance around the topic all while addressing it?” he asks.

“That’s very contradictory, isn’t it?” you smile softly, sadly, looking down at the floor.

“It is,” he agrees.

“Tell me, Kogami-san, what do you expect me to say?” You finally move your gaze to his and he watches for the first as you allow emotion to show in them. You’re always so closed off, it’s difficult for him to read you, but right now he can see the uncertainty in your eyes and the nervousness in the way you hold your shoulders.

“I would never be able to answer that question. Somehow, you’re always saying the opposite of what I expect,” he says truthfully.

“Do I truly baffle you that much?” The curiosity in your voice is so abundant it takes him aback. You’re so desperate to know how he feels about you and you’re not afraid to show it.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No.” Your answer is immediate and blunt. You really don’t know what he thinks of you. For someone who is so observant, it’s a little confusing.

He stays silent, watching you watch him.

“I’m sorry,” you finally say, looking away. “I crossed a line I shouldn’t have today and it wasn’t right of me. I should never have used Sasayama-san’s death against you like that. I know you, over all other people, hold the greatest wounds over his death. I’m sorry I picked at them.”

“You sure say sorry a lot for an Inspector,” he grunts. You only come to realize it’s a chuckle when you look up and find his lips quirked in amusement.

“We’re all humans in the end,” you smile back. There’s a brief silence, filled only by the two of you calmly staring at each other. It’s not awkward in the slightest, instead a muted exchange that you share, but you end it by speaking again. “I should leave. I’ve been meaning to look up all the files possibly available on Makishima to try to calculate what his next move will be. I should get to that.” You move towards him, closer to the door.

“I could help with that,” he says.

“Hmm?” you say absent-mindedly, caught a little off guard at his choice to stand your presence for any longer.

“I keep a file on Makishima. It contains every single possible piece of information on him to date. It even has whatever data Sasayama collected before his death. We can go over it,” he suggests.

“We?” you ask, still a little confused he’s willing to put up with the women who just ripped him a new one earlier in the day.

He ignores your question, beckoning you to follow him as he moves to a door next to the living room. It slides open and he walks in. You tentatively follow him in, eyes once again taking in your new surroundings.

“You don’t have a bed,” you note, gaze still roaming the room as you hover just a few feet beyond the doorway.

“I have no need for it. I barely sleep for hours at a stretch,” he explains.

“But when you do sleep, you sleep on that?” you ask, pointing at the couch against the bookshelves.

“Yeah. Is there a problem?”

“I’m buying you a bed,” you state flatly.

He nearly whirls around, fixing you with a bewildered stare. “Why?”

“A couch is not a bed,” you frown.

“It is when you couldn’t care less where you sleep,” he corrects.

“Kogami-san,” you begin, but he interrupts you.

“Kogami,” he says.

“What?” The confusion in your tone is evident and it makes him smile for some reason.

“Just call me Kogami. No honorifics,” he clarifies.

“I-” You frown, deep in thought. “What? If I baffle you, then you’re another whole level of it.”

There’s a bark of laughter from him and he turns his back to you, opening a small door of the bookshelf and extracting a binder. “How so?”

“How can you come to forgive me so easily after I just about stabbed you with the demons of your past and then deem it perfectly normal for me to call your name without honorifics?” you ask.

“If you think that’s all it’s going to take to keep me away from someone as intriguing as you, you have another thing coming your way,” he grins, talking without even thinking.

Your face falls flat, his words confusing you and exciting you at the same time. “What?”

“Never mind.” He walks past you, moving back to the living room and you follow, ready to question him more about his reply, but he redirects your attention, placing the binder on the coffee table in the midst of his couches. “This is everything I have on Makishima Shogo.”

Your curiosity gets the better of you and you immediately drop the subject of Kogami’s interest in you, instead settling on a two-seater couch and flipping open the file. He places himself next to you on your right, watching as your eyes dart from page to page. You go quiet for the next half an hour, occupying yourself with drinking in all the binder has to offer.

He leaves you to it, pouring you and himself a glass of whiskey. He’d initially asked you for your choice of wine, but you’d instead chosen something harder; Makishima was a subject that demanded it. You go through your first glass quickly enough, not even halfway done with the file, and by the time you’re turning the last page, you’re at the end of your second glass.

“It’s very thorough and clean,” you muse, pressing your lips to the rim of your glass in thought.

Kogami watches as your lips flatten against the smooth surface, licking his unconsciously in turn. “Clean? Many people don’t share your views.”

“Many people don’t realize how essential it is to gleam the most important facts if need be, and you’ve crafted a file that fulfills those needs,” you elaborate. You finally turn to look at him, realizing he’s a little too close for comfort. “Am I right?”

“You are.” He takes the binder from you, almost casually flipping through it. “Did you learn anything more about Makishima from it?”

You want to tell him the file couldn’t possibly help you learn more about a man you’d spent a good chunk of your life with, scheming together and plotting Sybil’s demise together, but you keep that to yourself. Kogami would probably kill you with his bare hands right then and there if he came to know you were Makishima’s lover and partner in crime once upon a time. “Yes,” you reply anyway.

“Any help with predicting his next plans?” he asks, leaning forward to place the binder down and grab his pack of cigarettes off the table, his knee brushing yours in the process. You cross your legs in response, artfully keeping yours away from his, but he doesn’t fail to notice the action.

“I’m not sure,” you frown, leaning forward to look at the file again before turning to him. He’s lighting his cigarette, breathing in deeply and then blowing out smoothly. “His main goal is to create a strong enough Psycho-Hazard that it pollutes the minds of everyone in Japan. He’s only fractionally successful with the murders, but it’s not enough to reach the mass he wants to or create the kind of panic he needs.”

“He’s testing waters,” says Kogami, meeting your gaze with his strong one.

“I think so, but I can’t be sure. The way Makishima thinks is such a an intricately weaved maze of predictions and calculations. I can’t be sure of anything he does and the deeper meanings behind them.” Your brows furrow momentarily, your eyes darting to the cigarette he slowly takes a drag from as you think. “From what Tsunemori has told me, you seem to have a good grasp on his way of thinking.”

He shrugs, breathing out a puff of smoke as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “I think Tsunemori regards my analysis of things a little too highly,” he smiles wryly.

“Well, I don’t doubt you’re good at it, especially if you've studied under Saiga-san,” you say, unexpectedly plucking the cigarette from his fingers and taking a long pull, leaning back against the couch, slinging your left arm over the back of it. He stares at you in mild surprise, watching as you sigh at the familiarity of the smoke hitting your throat, the taste of it in your mouth and the intoxication it fills you with. Your face fills with bliss for second, but it doesn’t escape Kogami’s sight, triggering something within him.

His hand is suddenly at the nape of your neck, cradling your head as he kisses you needily, hungrily, passionately, an almost carnal desire fuelling his actions. The cigarette falls from your hand, your fingers going slack in surprise as you take a moment to react and even register what’s going on. Your response comes in the form of Makishima’s image flashing across your mind and your hands come up, slamming into Kogami’s chest and successfully pushing him away from you.

You’re left wide-eyed and gasping in red-raw fear, hands shaking and chest quaking. Makishima is the only person you’ve been with, emotionally, physically, intimately, and every single sensory memory of intimacy connects back to him, calling his face in your mind. He’s branded you for life, his possessiveness over you tainting you so negatively that you’re touch-scarred, unable to have someone else touch you without evoking the memory of him to the very point you find yourself jerking away in horror.

You’re on your feet and running out of Kogami’s dorm before he can understand why you reacted the way you did, but he’s ultimately left with the assumption you find him downright repulsive due to his latent criminal status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little but of angst, a little bit of romance, a little bit of fear c;
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


	13. Chapter 12

When you wake the morning after the night Kogami had kissed you, you find yourself pressing your fingers to your lips. It takes you a moment to realize you’ve just been sitting in your bed for a good ten minutes, replaying yesterday night’s events over and over in your mind. How it all led up to that one mind-numbing moment. His hand on your neck, the feel of his chapped lips on yours, the taste of nicotine in both your mouths, it all runs through your mind on repeat. Only when your communicator rings from your bedside table do you snap out of it, leaning over and grabbing it to accept the call.

“Tsunemori, good morning,” you greet.

“[Last Name], I-I can’t… I don’t… Why me?” she whimpers, sheer horror filling her voice.

You’re immediately on alert, sitting up straight in bed. “Calm down, Tsunemori. What happened? What’s wrong?”

She calms herself down enough to get out a full sentence, albeit littered with pauses, sharp intakes of breath and stammers. “T-There’s been a murder,” she says slowly, her voice shaking dangerously.

“Where?” you ask, already slipping out of bed and shimmying into a pair of black pants.

“At m-my apartment,” she replies.

You stop abruptly at that, remembering the horrors of your own experience with a body hanging in front of your window. “Stay where you are. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Have you contacted anyone else?”

“J-Just Kogami-san,” she says.

“Ok, I’ll make sure he gets to your place with the rest of Division One’s Enforcers,” you assure her. “Everything will be alright. I’ll be there soon.”

You can almost hear her nod before she thanks you and ends the call. You’re in the bathroom the next instant, scrubbing through your teeth in a blur and splashing away whatever remains of your grogginess with cold water.

You call Kogami as you throw off your top, slipping into a bra and a white button up shirt. He picks up on the second ring.

“Inspector [Last Name],” he answers, voice emotionless.

“Kogami, have you contacted the others about Tsunemori?” you ask, getting straight to the point as you tuck your shirt into your pants and secure it with a belt.

“I have. We’ll be getting into the van soon enough and be on our way,” he says while you shove your feet into a pair of black heels.

“Good. I’ll see you all there,” you state, ending the call a second after, not even bothering to say goodbye. You’re in such a rush, you even forget your blazer, instead making do with a black trench coat around your shoulders as you grab your keys off the coffee table and run out the door.

You drive like a crazy person, donning the MWPSB hologram over your car to get through traffic quicker without the hassle of angry citizens honking at you. Five minutes later you’re at the address Tsunemori had sent you, ringing the doorbell anxiously. She opens it and you’re immediately greeted by her throwing her arms around your shoulders and hugging you, her head burying into the crook of your neck. You let her, holding her to you protectively, gently stroking her head in reassurance.

You’re still in the doorway, whispering sweet nothings into her ear when the rest of Division One makes their way down the hallway. Ginoza leads them, Kogami at his side with Kunizuka and Hinakawa in tow. You glance at them, eyes briefly meeting Kogami’s before darting away. You whisper to Tsunemori to take them inside and she nods, detaching herself from you and moving inside.

“Is it similar to the murders by Takahashi?” you ask, following her to her living room.

She shakes her head, seeming to have composed herself as she turns to face you and the rest. “No,” she answers, her eyes cutting to Kogami as she says her next words. “It, however, bares a resemblance to the specimen case.”

She pulls back the curtains obstructing the windows to her balcony and there, on the other side of the french doors, sits a plastinated human corpse. You lurch back at the grotesqueness of it, bumping into Ginoza and he steadies you with his hands on your upper arms.

The body is male in nature, stripped of his clothes and positioned to sit on his knees. His wrists are held behind his back with a pair of handcuffs that bare a great resemblance to the ones issued by the MWPSB. His legs are folded neatly below him, his buttocks resting against his feet while his torso is arched in an almost needy manner. The head is tilted up to appear as if it’s looking at the viewer, eyes glassy and sightless, while his lips stretch into an attempt at a blissful smile; the whole expression looks so unnatural, you have to suppress a shudder. Around his neck is a thick red tie, looped in the middle to form a large bow, almost as if he’s a present. The words ‘Have fun!’ are written across the collarbone in red lipstick with a little heart as the point for the exclamation mark.

The droids making up the forensics teams arrive just then and you step aside, allowing Hinakawa to operate them to scan the area. As they go about collecting data, you occupy yourself in the kitchen, brewing coffee and making breakfast for Tsunemori. She sits at her dining table, watching you as you pull out six mugs from a cabinet and flip a pancake. It’s been so long since she’s eaten anything besides synthetic food, she’s a little surprised she has the ingredients for a pancake and grateful for the change in food. You place a plate and fork in front of her, moving back to the counter to pour coffee into the six mugs.

“Ginoza-san, Kunizuka-san, do you like sugar and milk in your coffee?” you ask, seeing as they’re also in the kitchen.

“Three spoons of sugar and milk,” Ginoza replies.

“One spoon of sugar and just a little milk,” says Kunizuka.

You mix in the required, handing them their mugs as you call for Hinakawa.

“Y-yes?” he inquires, his head popping into the room.

“I made coffee,” you smile. “Sugar or milk?”

“Two spoons of sugar and n-no milk,” he says.

You nod, adding in the sugar and stirring before passing him his cup. He thanks you softly and leaves, and by that time the pancake is done. You scoop it off the pan and slide it onto Tsunemori’s plate, placing her cup of coffee next to it.

“Sugar? Milk? You don’t happen to have maple syrup, do you?” you ask.

She shakes her head apologetically. “Two spoons, milk and no.”

“Honey? Chocolate syrup or spread?” you suggest as you mix in the sugar and milk.

“I do have chocolate spread,” she says, pointing to a cupboard.

You retrieve it, setting it down on the table with a butter knife.

“Thank you, [Last Name]. If it weren’t for you, my morning would’ve been much worse,” she smiles gently, her hands wrapped around her mug.

“It’s the least I can do,” you smile back, ladling batter into the empty pan before picking up the remaining two mugs on the counter after adding sugar to them. You pass by her as you leave the room, placing a chaste kiss on the top of her head. “Eat up.”

Kogami is in the living room, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he stares at the tiny droids going about their work. He notices you approaching and turns to look at you. Your face is impassive as you stop two feet from him, handing him his mug.

“Coffee,” you say, looking up at him.

He takes it, careful not to touch you. “Thank you.”

You nod, turning to return to the kitchen. He takes a sip, watching as you move away. It’s mildly sweet, probably just a spoon of sugar in it, just like he usually takes it; you remember.

By the time you’ve placed another pancake in Tsunemori’s plate and she’s finished it, you’re back in the living room, scrutinizing the body.

“Can I have a swab?” you ask as you squat in front of the body

A little droid places one in your hand and you take a swipe at the lipstick on the corpse, placing it in a ziplock bag and giving it back to the droid. You’re fingering the tie next, unknotting it and placing it another ziplock bag.

“I want to know what lipstick that is. The brand, the edition, everything and where it can be bought from. I also want to know who sells that tie along with the sellers for the handcuffs,” you order.

Hinakawa nods, inputting your requests into the system for Karanomori.

“I think we’re done here. Get that body moved and the whole place scrubbed,” you state, taking your hair out of the bun you’d tied it into earlier while cooking.

Kunizuka acknowledges, calling for bigger droids to take care of the corpse.

“Tsunemori, do you want to get ready here or do you want to come back to my place and freshen up?” you ask, turning to her.

“Your place?” she says in confusion.

“Yeah. I’m not letting you stay here,” you explain.

“Um…” she stammers, unsure of what to say.

“Would you rather stay with your parents?” you enquire.

“No, I wouldn’t want to impose on them. Are you sure I can stay at your place?” she says.

“Of course. We’re friends, are we not?”

She smiles. “We are. I’ll get ready here. You can return to headquarters, though.”

You shake your head. “No, I’ll stay here with you until you’re ready to leave.”

“But-”

“No buts,” you insist. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.” You usher her into her room, glancing over your shoulder to let the rest know they can leave.

 

* * *

 

It’s one in the afternoon when the results arrive. The entirety of Division One has finally showered, gotten ready for the day and is present in the lab, Karanomori’s fingers flying over her keyboard as she brings up all the data.

“Those handcuffs have proven to be the easiest to find,” she begins. “They’re only sold at one shop, a sex toy shop in Shinjuku Ward named Gurama. The tie is made for the uniform of Moto Azabu High School in Minato ward. As for the lipstick, it’s a limited edition one by MAQuillAGe with actual gold flecks in it. Man, I’m so jealous, I want it! They only sell from their website.”

“Send me the address for the sex shop,” you say, earning a whistle from Karanomori. You roll your eyes, but can’t help the small smile on your lips.

“Yes, ma’am,” she sings. “Anything else?”

“Send a request for a list of buyers from MAQuillAGe regarding their limited edition lipstick,” you say. You turn away from the monitors, gazing at all the Enforcers before settling on one. “Kunizuka-san, you and I will go to Gurama. Tsunemori, do you mind going to Moto Azabu with Ginoza-san and Hinakawa-san?”

“Not at all,” Tsunemori nods, already moving out with Ginoza, Hinakawa trailing behind them.

“Inspector [Last Name], I’m requesting permission to come with to Gurama,” Kogami states, turning to you.

You glance up from your communicator displaying the location of the shop. “Denied. Also, you’re off the case.”

“What?!” he nearly roars.

“You heard me just fine, Kogami-san. You’re too close to this. Go home. Take the day off,” you say, turning on your heel and heading out.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do at Gurama,” Karanomori croons. “Ah, and Yayoi, I wouldn’t mind if you buy something there.” She winks at her lover.

Kunizuka’s only response is to flush and follow you out, Kogami in pursuit.

“Inspector, can we please talk about this?” he asks, trailing you to the elevators.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Kogami-san. My answer is final,” you say flatly.

His hand suddenly grips your forearm and you halt, glaring down at it.

“Kunizuka-san, continue on down to the basement. I’ll meet you there,” you tell her and she nods, leaving you alone with Kogami.

He sighs deeply, letting go of your arm and closing his eyes as he gathers his thoughts.

“Well,” you prod impatiently, crossing your arms over chest as you look at him expectantly. “You wanted to talk, I’m listening.”

“Is this about last night?” he asks, opening his eyes and looking straight into yours.

You snort. “Not everything is about you. This is about the case. I can’t have you making rash judgements while on mission. You’re way too close to this to keep a calm mind. Besides, I don’t exactly want to be visiting a sex shop with you, which is why I chose Kunizuka-san.”

“Are we going to talk about last night or are we just going to pretend like it didn’t happen and act cold towards each other from here on out?” he continues.

“Now’s not the time to discuss this. I have more important matters on my hands,” you say, evading the question. “Now, if you would excuse me. Kunizuka-san is waiting for me.” You move to leave.

“Wait.” He grabs your hand. His touch sends a sudden jolt through your body, making it break out in sweat and terror course through your very being. You hiss venomously, snatching your hand out of his and holding it to yourself protectively as you glare at him, but he’s looking at you in curiosity, the gears in his head turning and working out conclusions. You turn on your heel and he lets you leave this time.

You reach the basement five minutes later, heels clicking the ground hurriedly. Kunizuka waits just past the doors to the building, her hands linked behind her back. She catches sight of you as you burst out of the building and follows you to your car, watching in silence as you unlock it and slide into the driver’s seat, herself sidling into the passenger seat. You start the engine, hands on the wheel as you back out and then put the car into drive. Then you stop, idling near the doors to the building.

Your head lolls back, hitting the headrest and you sigh, squeezing your eyes shut in thought. They flutter open a moment later and you’re made aware of Kunizuka’s gaze on you. You straighten, raising your wrist towards your face as you tap at your wrist cuff. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” you say offhandedly, and then you’re calling Kogami.

“Inspector, [Last Name]?” he answers, the slightest bit of surprise evident in his tone.

“Get down here in five minutes or I’m leaving without you,” you state flatly.

“On my way,” comes his response and you end the call.

He slides into the backseat three minutes later, his breathing slightly labored, you assume from him rushing down, and then you’re pulling out of the basement, heading for Shinjuku Ward. You’re very aware of Kogami’s gaze constantly flitting over to you and then wandering away; you can see it in the rearview mirror through your peripheral vision. It keeps you constantly flexing and contracting your fingers around the wheel, biting your lip in anxiety. Maybe you were coming to regret your last minute decision sooner than you would’ve thought.

It’s on your way to the shop on foot after parking that he finally speaks, his voice low as if he doesn’t want Kunizuka to hear, but you’re sure she can anyway.

“What made you change your mind?” he asks.

“The fact that I value your insight and judgement during investigations,” you reply.

“Even to a sex shop?” he smirks. You can’t see it, since your gaze is set firmly ahead, but you can hear it in his tone. You consider elbowing him in the guts right then and there.

“I highly value your skills, okay? Don’t let it get to you head,” you explain yourself, but you’re smiling wryly all the same; you can’t help yourself when it comes to Kogami.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says playfully, pleased to see you’re back to acting as usual around him.

You withdraw a hand from the pocket of your trench coat, pushing open the door to Gurama and stepping in. The interiors scream sex dungeon with their red walls, burgundy carpet and hazy neon pink lights. You instruct Kogami and Kunizuka to idle in the store while you question the salesperson. There’s a counter at the very back of the shop and you make a beeline for it, avoiding every single item that you pass, not even daring to cast a single glance to them.

“Good afternoon, little lady. My name is Nishimura Itsuki. How may I help you today?” greets the salesman behind the counter. He appears to be a well-groomed, middle-aged with perfectly coiffed hair and chestnut brown eyes; quite attractive in your opinion.

“I’m looking for a pair of handcuffs that fit my roleplaying needs,” you smile seductively, splaying your hands out on the counter, a sign of openness. Karanomori would be proud.

He takes your invitation, leaning forward. “And what exactly are your roleplaying needs?”

“I’m quite into the policewoman kink,” you say with a wink.

“I think we might have something that fits your needs perfectly,” he replies, moving out from behind the counter to lead your through the store. He stops in front of a black drawer fitted into the wall, pulling it open to reveal handcuffs of every kind. He picks out one, the very same that had been used on your victim, and holds it up for you to see. “This handcuff has been crafted to look exactly like the ones the MWPSB use, to heighten the reality of the roleplay.”

“How neat!” you croon, taking it from his hands and inspecting it. “I’ve been looking for something like this for so long, but no one seemed to keep such realistic ones.”

“Gurama is the only store to sell these,” Nishimura boasts. “They’re one of a kind.”

“Impressive,” you gush, smiling at him coyly.

“You wouldn’t, by any chance, need any help with those?” he asks flirtatiously.

“Oh,” you laugh nervously, wringing your neck in a sign of mild discomfort. “I’m actually here with my partner.”

“You are?” he says dubiously.

“Mm-hmm,” you nod, catching sight of Kogami nearby and walking over to him. He’s caught off guard when you wrap yourself around his arm, holding the cuffs up to his face. “I found the handcuffs we were looking for, sweetheart,” you trill. “I can’t wait to use them on you tonight!”

He pales. You notice Kunizuka muffling giggles in your peripheral vision, but Nishimura doesn’t seem to catch sight of her.

“O-oh. You two have fun and come to the register once you’re ready,” Nishimura says awkwardly before shuffling away.

The minute he’s gone, you unwind from Kogami, but a residual sensual smile remains on your lips.

“What was that?” he asks flatly, not amused by your antics.

“I was flirting with the guy to get information out of him, but I think I came on too strong,” you say simply. “So I had to act like you were my partner.”

Kogami frowns.

“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. Play along or he’s going to suspect I’ve been playing him,” you say. “Now, let’s go. I need to act like I’m into threesomes.”

Kogami nearly chokes on his own saliva.

You make your way to the counter, smiling smoothly as you approach Nishimura. “I think I’m ready to make a purchase,” you smile, sliding the handcuffs across the counter. “And I was wondering if you’d be able to give me a list of the customers who’ve also bought these. You see, my partner and I are kind of into threesomes and not many people share our kinks.”

For once, Nishimura flushes at the boldness of your statement. “I’m not sure I’m at liberty to do that.”

“Aww, really? Can’t you just do this as a small favour for me?” you plead, batting your lashes at him.

“I wouldn’t mind,” says Nishimura, crumbling under the intensity of your gaze. “But I don’t want my Psycho Pass to cloud.”

“Ah, that’s true,” you frown, your flirtiness vanishing. “I guess that settles it then.” You pull out your MWPSB badge, flashing it for him to see as you assume a more poised persona. “I’m actually here as part of an investigation. My apologies for deceiving you. This man is actually my colleague,” you state, gesturing to Kogami. “And so is the woman in the back. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like that list of customers who purchased the handcuffs along with any contact information they have.”

Nishimura goes rigid, paling at your true identity and the way Kogami stands intimidatingly next to you. “O-Of course. Just give me a moment.” His fingers fly across his keyboard, pulling up the files before sending them to your communicator.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” you say with a curt smile.

“W-would you still like the handcuffs?” he abruptly asks.

“Oh. No, I’m not actually into that kink. Besides, I have the real deal,” you reply.

“However, I’d like to purchase these,” says Kunizuka, appearing besides you as she places a pair of sinfully sexy stockings on the counter.

“Nice choice. Karanomori’s going to love them,” you simper, withdrawing your wallet as Kogami’s eyebrows raise in surprise at her boldness.

“Why are you taking out your wallet? I can pay for them,” she says.

“No, no. My treat. I have more money than I know what to do with,” you smile, paying Nishimura before he bags the stockings and hands them to Kunizuka.

She thanks you as the three of you walk out, heading back to your car.

“Couldn’t you have just led with being an Inspector instead of beating around the bush?” asks Kogami as you put your car in drive.

“I could’ve, but firstly, where’s the fun in that, and secondly, you should know better that you get more information out of a person if you’re friendly and not someone they find intimidating,” you explain, glancing into the rearview mirror to look at him.

Kunizuka finally allows herself to laugh, her hand coming up to her face to cover her smile. “It _was_ very amusing.”

“It was, wasn’t it. I didn’t think it possible to fluster Kogami-san,” you laugh.

Oh, but how easy it was, Kogami thinks, for it’s only you who can affect him in such a way.

“I wonder if Karanomori has gotten a reply from MAQuillAGe,” you ponder as you pull into the basement of Headquarters. “Then we can crosscheck the buyers of the lipstick and the cuffs.”

You park your car, locking it upon getting out and heading up to the lab.

“Ah, you’re back,” Karanomori greets, puffing from a cigarette. “How did it go?” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Did you buy anything, Yayoi?”

“Actually, she did,” you reply, smiling coyly as Karanomori’s jaw drops. “But before you get your hands on it, have you gotten a reply from MAQuillAGe?”

She pouts, but answers anyway. “No, they haven’t gotten back to me. And Akane-chan and the rest haven’t gotten back yet either.”

“Alright, I’m sending you the customer list from Gurama. Once MAQuillAGe gets in touch, cross check the buyers and see if there’s anyone in common,” you order. “Until then, have fun with Kunizuka-san.” You wink, moving out and dragging Kogami with you by his arm to give them some privacy.

“Is it wise to leave them alone like that during working hours?” questions Kogami as you make your way to the elevator.

“Hey, I’m not anyone to stop two lovers from having sex. Besides, consensual sex is good for one’s Psycho Pass,” you say offhandedly, punching the button.

“And somehow kissing isn’t?”

You make a sound of exasperation, blurting without thought as you enter the elevator, “Not when it triggers memories you’d rather leave in the past.” The weight of what you’ve just said hits you just as the doors close and suddenly you’re stuck.

“What?” He’s staring hard at you now.

“What?” You’re just dodging his prodding now.

“Explain,” he demands.

“Now really isn’t the time, Kogami-san,” you sigh.

“When is a good time, then?” he asks flatly.

“Maybe when we don’t have a case on our hands,” you suggest.

“We’re not exactly doing anything right now, [Last Name],” he growls.

You raise an eyebrow at the lack of honorifics following your name, but Kogami couldn’t care less.

“Now is as good of a time as any other,” he insists.

“Alright, _fine_!” you snap, voice rising. “Kiss me and watch me have a mental breakdown because I don’t have as good of a control over my thoughts as I thought I had. Push me up against a wall and ravish me while I get lost in memories of a relationship that was more possessive than loving. Make out with me until my Psycho Pass goes so far off the edge there’s no chance of recovery.” You’re yelling at this point. The doors ding open, but you don’t even bother to make a move, too involved with glaring at Kogami.

He’s looking down at you, eyes wide in shock at your outburst and honesty, so surprised you’ve revealed a part of yourself so private that he’s shocked out of speech. “Who…” he begins.

The doors start to close and you reach out, smacking them back open. “Get out,” you say levelly.

“[Last Name],” he tries.

“Out!” you yell.

He obeys, like the hunting dog he is, turning his back to you as he keeps his fists clenched at his sides, making his way to Division One’s office. You watch indifferently as his figure moves further and further away until the doors slide shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because relationships are rollercoasters in a nutshell, especially with two mentally scarred human beings. c:
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


	14. Chapter 13

Maybe you’d said too much, you think as you make yourself a cup of coffee. After leaving Kogami on the CID floor, you’d made your way back to your quarters, kicking your feet out of your heels in relief and collapsing onto your couch for a twenty minute nap. You’d woken up calm and refreshed, ready to take on the world… after a cup of coffee.

Your communicator begins to ring and upon seeing it’s Tsunemori, you pick up.

“We just got back,” she informs. “Could you come back down to the lab?”

“Sure,” you say, putting away your ceramic mug and getting out a travel mug instead.

“Is Kogami-san with you?” she asks. “Bring him as well.”

“Ah, actually he’s not. I’m back in my dorm and he’s at the office. Could you call him down for me?” you request.

“Oh, I thought he’d be with you since it’s just the two of you missing. I’ll call him. See you,” she says, ending the call after.

You pour your freshly brewed coffee into your mug, screwing the lid over it, and slip back into your heels, seeing as there’s no rigorous field work. You make your way back down, meeting Kogami just in front of the door to the lab. He’s about to say something, but you look away, stepping into the lab. He follows.

“The tie belonged to Nakamura Takumi, a third-year at Moto Azabu High School,” begins Tsunemori. “He apparently lost it after changing into his gym clothes four days ago. We’ve acquired a list of faculty and staff from the high school.”

“I received a reply from MAQuillAGe with their consumer list for the lipstick,” Karanomori states. “I cross checked it with the consumer list from Gurama and the faculty list from Moto Azabu, but there are no matches. I’m sorry, [Last Name]. You’ll have to find another way to go about this.”

You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. “It’s alright. I was doubtful this would procure results anyway. It was a far fetch the perpetrator would leave behind traces of themselves like that.”

“But why Tsunemori-san’s balcony?” asks Ginoza. “It’s not at all public, but only directed at Tsunemori-san herself. It doesn’t target the mass as a Psycho-Hazard.”

“Another taunt from Makishima?” you suggest.

“Most probably,” agrees Kogami.

“But I don’t understand,” you muse. “Why a tie from an all boys high school? She could’ve used ribbon, string, silk, anything. Why a tie?”

“She? What makes you think our killer is a woman?” asks Kogami.

You frown at your own words. “I don’t really know. The pronoun just slipped out of my mouth.”

“Who’s our victim?” Tsunemori asks, a question none of you had asked in the first place.

“Takada Daiki, 32, a stock manager for Line Corporation,” answers Karanomori. “He has a family. Would you like me to send their address?”

“Yes. I’ll go pay them a visit with Ginoza-san,” says Tsunemori, turning to you. “I know you’re not good with condolences.”

You smile gratefully. “Thanks.”

“The rest of you can take the day off. I don’t think there will be much else to do,” she says before leaving with Ginoza.

 

* * *

 

By the time Tsunemori is back, it’s six in the evening. You make dinner for the both of yourselves before she heads to sleep around nine, sleeping in your bed upon your insistence. You don’t blame her; after the day’s events, you’d be exhausted too.

Around ten in the night do you finally begin to tire, the three glasses of wine you’d consumed finally catching up to you, giving you a pleasant buzz. You’re about to crash on the couch in your living room when the doorbell rings; it’s Kogami. You step outside instead of hovering in the doorway, not wanting to make any noise and wake Tsunemori.

“Yes?” you greet him, trying to get him to cut to the point instead of engaging in polite chit chat.

“I think we should talk,” he states.

“I feel like our entire relationship has just been one big ‘we need to talk,’” you say.

His lips curve slightly in a wry smile. “That’s true to a certain extent.”

“Look, Kogami-san,” you sigh, holding your hands up. “Can we just forget about all of this? Forget about the kiss, forget about what I said about my past this afternoon, forget about anything outside of our Inspector-Enforcer relationship. How about it? It would make everything so much simpler.”

“No,” he says flatly.

“No?” you ask incredulously, like you’re calling him crazy. “Are you _trying_ to make this more difficult than it already is?”

He sighs in exasperation. “Can we take this inside?”

“No, Tsunemori is sleeping in there. That’s why I’m talking to you out here,” you explain.

“Fine. Let’s go to my place,” he decides.

“No, the last time I was there you kissed me and made me feel like I had no control over my own thoughts,” you nearly hiss.

“Alright, I promise to not kiss you this time,” he says. “Actually, no, I can’t promise that.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to kiss me again? Wha-? Do you even _hear_ yourself?” you sputter in outrage.

“This will make much more sense if we could just talk back at my quarters,” he says.

You let out a string of curses. “Fine. I’ll humor you. Let’s go.” You take off towards the elevator, not even bothering to check if he’s following.

When you arrive at his door, he punches in his code, letting you enter. His place looks the same as last time, stark and bare with only the essentials. He watches you stare at everything venomously and wonders if his plans won’t go as smoothly as he thought them out to be, but then again, when have plans ever gone smoothly when it comes to you.

He sighs, mentally scrapping his plans as he moves to his fridge. “Would you like something to drink?”

“I’ve already had enough for the night and, quite frankly, all I want to do is go to sleep after all of it,” you say, arms crossed over your chest.

He turns to look at you, fixing you with an intense gaze which you return without missing a beat. “You can sleep on my couch,” he finally says. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“So, I came down here just to sleep on your couch?” you frown.

He shrugs, unscrewing the cap from a bottle of water. “You don’t seem to be in the mood to talk and you’re tired. Might as well talk to you when you’re more level-headed.” He tilts his head back, drinking from the bottle.

You groan, massaging your temples as you squeeze your eyes shut. “You… You are so baffling. I never know what you’re thinking or what you’re about to do. It frustrates me to no end and somehow I’m still attracted to you. It makes no sense.”

He freezes. “You’re attracted to me?”

You don’t say anything for a moment and it feels like an eternity to Kogami. Finally, you breathe in deeply, sighing heavily. “Yes.”

“But you didn’t like me kissing you?” he asks.

You pause, thinking his question over. “Yes.”

“You’re the baffling one,” he remarks.

“So I’ve been told by you already,” you say wryly, before coming undone and spilling your thoughts; maybe it’s a result of the alcohol in your body. “But it’s only because… I don’t know. There’s something wrong with me. Maybe I’m spoiled for relationships forever. When you touch me, all I can think about is _him_. It’s like he’s the only one my body has known and now my body unconsciously thinks of him when you touch me.”

Kogami simply stares at you, soaking in everything you’ve said, once again taken aback by how open you suddenly are. When he doesn’t reply for minutes together, you begin to fidget.

“You know what? I’m just going to go to bed,” you say. “I’ll just go back to my place.” You turn to move.

“No,” comes Kogami’s reply. “Stay.”

“No, I should really go,” you insist.

“Please.”

That’s all it takes to make you crumble. His tone and the fact he’s actually pleading causes you to turn back around and look at him, but his back is to you as he moves to his room. He returns with a blanket and a pillow, laying them on the couch in his living room.

“I’ll be in my room if you need me,” he says, switching off the light and disappearing into his room.

And just like that, you’re left alone. You blink, eyes adjusting to the darkness as you use the light from your wrist cuff to navigate to the couch. You settle yourself on it, unfolding the blanket and draping it over your body. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that maybe you’re not as tired as you thought you were, shifting on the couch and glancing up at the ceiling.

You wonder if it’s something about Kogami that somehow allows you to open up to him. You hadn’t meant to tell him your past has affected you to such an extent that you’re mentally and emotionally scarred. You hadn’t meant to tell him his very touch made you think of a man that had damned your existence to hell and back, a man Kogami loathed with all his being.

In the end, you’re a little grateful nothing happened tonight, but at the same time a little disappointed. As much as it affects you the way it does, you still want him to touch you, hold you, kiss you, feel you, ravish you and… and… You know what? Fuck it. It’s never going to happen with the state you’re in.

You turn on your side, burrowing your head deeper into the pillow below you, and will yourself to fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

When you wake, it’s still dark. You groan, lifting your upper body into a sitting position. It takes you a moment to remember you’re not in your own home and you’re sleeping on Kogami’s couch. Why had you agreed to this again?

A faint light emitting from the bottom of the door to Kogami’s room alerts you to the fact he’s still awake. You shift, swinging your legs over the edge of the couch and rubbing the remnants of sleep from your eyes, the blanket slipping off your body. You yawn all the same, rising to your feet. Tilting your head back, you breathe in deeply, letting it out in a deep sigh. Then you’re moving to Kogami’s door.

You dimly wonder if he’s locked his door and if you tap the interface whether it will deny you access, but when you do, the door slides open smoothly. He looks up; he’s sitting on his couch, an ankle resting over his opposite knee, Makishima’s file perched in his lap and a cup of coffee in his hand. He’s changed into sweatpants and a form hugging t-shirt, and the smell of smoke lingers in the air.

“Hey,” you say softly, leaning against the doorframe, crossing your arms over your chest as you fix him with your still sleep laden gaze.

“Hey,” he responds, taking in your disheveled appearance; the messy hair, crumpled clothes and hazy eyes. It’s a side of you he’s never seen before.

“It’s,” you look at your wrist cuff, “two in the morning. What are you doing awake?”

He gives you half an impish smile and sets his mug on the coffee table in front of him. “Looking over Makishima’s file. What are you doing awake?”

“I just woke up,” you admit, finally pushing off from the wall and stepping over to him. You collapse next to him on the couch, leaving a bit of distance between the two of you and it doesn’t escape Kogami’s eye. “I saw your light on, so I came over here.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair and ruffling it more than it already is. You glance his way, eyes catching sight of his dark locks sticking up in different directions, and giggle. It hits him then that he’s never heard you make such a sound. He comes to the conclusion that your guards must be lowered.

“You’re going to go insane, you know that?” you say softly, taking the binder from him and moving it to your lap.

“I haven’t yet, so I think I’m safe,” he replies.

“You’re a latent criminal. Your Psycho Pass clouded because of this. I’d say it’s about the same thing,” you argue, smiling wryly.

“You have a point, but I’d like to say I’ve plateaued. I don’t think I can go much further down the rabbit hole,” he says.

“Don’t challenge yourself, Kogami-san,” you warn, but there’s a lighthearted twinkle in your eye .

“I thought I told you to call me just Kogami,” he recalls.

“Alright. Don’t challenge yourself, Just Kogami,” you grin mockingly.

He rolls his eyes and you laugh, leaning forward to wrap your fingers around his mug of coffee. You tilt your head back, taking a sip before setting it back down and turning your attention to the file in your lap.

“What do you expect to derive from all of this when you’ve already poured over it a hundred and one times before,” you ask, idly flipping through the pages.

He shrugs. “Sometimes some things just click. You see them in a new light after a long day or a certain experience and they suddenly just make sense.”

You nod slowly, still sifting through the pages. “Has anything produced itself in a different light?”

He sighs, shaking his head as he leans back and closes his eyes. “No.”

You close the binder, raising it and whacking him gently on the head with it. His eyes flutter open in shock and he turns to look at you just as you set the file on the table. “Then maybe you’ve been staring at it for too long. Take a break, Kogami-san. Lie down for a while. Rest your mind.”

“It’s just Kogami,” he reminds you, realizing his mistake only a second before you speak.

“Yes, yes, Just Kogami,” you smile impishly.

It’s the look you’re giving him that finally sends him over the edge. He leans into you, cupping your face and kissing you fervently. It catches you off guard at first as your eyes slide shut, but your surprise slowly morphs into sheer terror, Makishima’s features flashing behind your eyelids.

You gasp into Kogami’s mouth, a hand coming up to clutch at his t-shirt and push him away. His free hand wraps around yours, keeping you steady as he breaks away just enough to speak against your lips.

“Look at me,” he growls.

Your eyelids snap open and Makishima’s image is replaced by Kogami’s, his grey-blue eyes fixing you with a gaze so intense it does _things_ to you.

“It’s _me_ kissing you. Not some bastard who emotionally abused you. Not some man who’s going to make you go through that all over again. Focus on _me_ ,” he rasps. And then he dives back in for another just as fiery kiss.

It sets your nerves ablaze this time. You’re concentrating on Kogami now and _his_ touch, _his_ lips, _his_ scent. With Makishima gone from your mind, you’re finally able to feel. You feel Kogami’s need for you, his passion, his need to protect, and more qualities Makishima could never dream of having. But enough about that man.

Kogami’s turning your body and mind to putty. His assault of kisses doesn’t slow down for a second and when his hand leaves yours to find your waist, you shift. He takes the opportunity to move you completely beneath him, hovering over you as he begins to wander from your mouth. You release the fistful of his shirt you’d been clutching and search out the hem of it, sliding a hand beneath it to feel at his heated skin. You fingers barely graze the smooth expanse of his stomach, but his reaction to it is mindblowing.

He drops his weight, pressing into you. You gasp in response, arching up into him, hips pressing into his. He shudders above you, groaning into your neck as he litters the skin there with open mouthed kisses.

“You better not leave any marks,” you hiss when he nips at your collarbone, your free hand curling into his wild hair and pulling hard.

“I can’t make any promises,” he chuckles darkly, gazing up at you with a look so sinful it should be illegal.

His hand moves from your neck, traveling to your inner thigh. Your hips buck into his in response, but when his hand draws upwards, you gasp, an unwelcome face flashing behind your eyelids. Kogami hears you whimper before he feels you still beneath him, and he stops all ministrations, propping up onto his forearms as he regards you from above.

There’s a wild, panicked look in your eyes. Your chest is heaving and the sweat dampening your skin has turned cold. It hadn’t register to him that it may take you time to adjust to certain things and not everything would be up for grabs at the get go.

“Are you… Are you okay?” he tentatively asks, watching you with uncharacteristically concerned eyes.

You nod, swallowing thickly. “...fine. I’m fine,” you breathe. You turn your head, looking away, not liking to be seen so weak.

He understands all too well; even he doesn’t like to be seen during his moments of weakness. His arms wrap around your waist and he flips the both of you. You find yourself lying atop him, your head tucked into the crook of his neck so he doesn’t have to see your face.

“Thank you,” you whisper.

He grunts in response, turning the lights off with his wrist cuff.

 

* * *

 

The first thought that crosses your mind when you wake the next morning is how you’re going to get off Kogami without waking him. You manage to get both arms free to hoist yourself up when he notices the weight of your body leaving, stirring him into consciousness. You halt, peering down at him as he blinks his eyes open.

“Y’know,” he mumbles groggily, words thick with sopor, “I could get used to waking up to this.”

Oh, no, you think, his sleepy voice is sexy. “Maybe if you had a bed, I wouldn’t mind sleeping over more often,” you smirk.

A wry smile stretches his lips. “Remind me to buy one as soon as possible.”

You finally get to your feet, stretching upwards with a whine. “Or you could sleep at my place.” Then you gasp. “Tsunemori!” You’re running for his bathroom the next instant, remembering you don’t have a toothbrush and popping your head back out. “Do you have a spare toothbrush?”

He sighs, sliding off the couch and moving over to you. He opens a cabinet, withdrawing a new toothbrush and handing it to you.

“Thanks,” you chirp before getting down to business, scrubbing the living hell out of your teeth and then splashing your face with cold water.

He watches you in amusement, arms crossed in front of his chest until you press your damp face into a towel, drying it. Then you’re dashing to his kitchen, brewing a pot of coffee while he freshens up himself. Once he’s done, he finds you folding the blanket you’d used the previous night, laying it next to the pillow before shoving your feet into your shoes.

You move back to the kitchen, pouring the freshly brewed coffee into two clean mugs, adding the required sugar into both and stirring hurriedly. You hand him his cup, downing yours in several large gulps; Kogami’s sure you’ve set some new world record. Then you’re rushing to the door.

He catches you just before you’re able to run up the stairs to the door, backing you into a wall and pressing himself into you. He’s been wanting to do this all morning, he has to admit, ever since he woke to your hovering over him, but your rushing had stopped him from doing so.

“Kogami, Tsunemori’s probably waiting for me. I need to lea-” You words of protest are cut off by his lips latching onto yours.

You have to remind yourself it’s Kogami holding you and kissing you and no one else before you’re able to melt into his arms, winding your own around his shoulders. He nips at your lower lip and you gasp, leaning further into him; any further and you’re sure he and you will become one. His kisses are open-mouthed now, with tongue and teeth and a fierceness that threatens to buckle your knees. You clutch onto his shirt, nails clawing through it and surely leaving trails of pink against his skin.

He groans at the sudden stinging of the scratches, his knee coming between your legs. His lips stray from yours, finding your neck, and you arch into him, your body turning into molten lava. You’re rewarded by his knee hiking up and this time you do buckle. It’s been so long since the last time someone has touched you, too long. His hand winds under your butt, supporting you as his other finds its way under your top, fingers ghosting over your flesh before flattening his palm against it. You wrap your legs around his hips in response. Every single synapse in your body is short circuiting and every single spot he touches bursts into heated goosebumps.

“Kou…” you gasp, unable to get out his name fully.

His reaction is otherworldly. He slams you back into the wall, his lips moving south, searching out your chest. Then your communicator goes off. You snap out of your lust-ridden haze and even Kogami stills.

“It’s Tsunemori,” you state, breathing ragged.

He curses under his breath, letting you back down to the ground.

“Good morning, Tsunemori,” you answer.

“[Last Name],” she greets. “I just woke up, but you’re nowhere. Are you at the gym?”

“Ah, no,” you reply, eyes darting over to Kogami as he watches you with an amused smile, enjoying the look of your disheveled appearance. “I’m actually at Kogami-san’s quarters. We were going over Makishima’s file and I ended up falling asleep here. I’ll be there in five.”

“Oh,” she says. “No problem. Take your time. See you.”

She ends the call and you sigh, pleased with yourself for getting your breathing under control so quickly. You slump against the wall behind you, throwing your head back as you close your eyes. Then you feel Kogami’s hand at your waist, his thumb slipping under the hem of your top and brushing against the heated skin there.

You glare at him. “Don’t even think about it.”

“She did say take your time,” he argues, smirking suggestively.

“She’s just being kind,” you frown, smacking his hand away and straightening up. “Now, I should really leave.”

He sighs, following you to the door. You tap the interface and the door slides open. You step out and turn to face Kogami, leaning up to press a deep kiss to his lips. When you break away, hovering just an inch from him, your eyes blink open, fixing him with a look he’d say is downright ravenous. If you hadn’t been standing outside his door, he’s sure he’d floor you right then and there and make out with you until you’re putty in his hands.

“See you later, Kogami,” you smile coyly. Then you’re backing away, turning on your heel and walking away, leaving Kogami to question whether this new situation is actually good for his health or terrible for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heuheuheu romance is here~ ⚆ꆚ⚆
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


	15. Chapter 14

You’re not sure what frustrates you more, Makishima being as elusive as ever or the cryptic message behind the murder, which is essentially just a taunt, not exactly his M.O. You know he doesn’t carry out the murders himself, but he is the one who pulls the strings, a carefully crafted plan in the dawn of its wrath.

Tsunemori watches you mull over the newfound information about the victim’s family having nothing to offer for substantial leads, your fingers rapidly working a gaming console to blow off steam. If you jab the buttons any harder, she’s sure they’re going to stay sunken into their sockets.

She’s just about to tell you to calm down when you visibly slacken, going limp in your chair as you let your head to fall against the backrest, eyelids sliding shut. Your console is all but forgotten in your hands, however your index fingers tap consistently against the plastic of it. She guesses she doesn’t have to bother you anymore.

Kogami watches you from the corner of his eye. He’s always found you doing just about everything when you’re deep in thought, from gaming, to meditating, to cooking and even to sparring. He still remembers the time you’d abruptly paused in the middle of combat practice, eyes gazing off into the distance and he hadn’t been able to stop his momentum, crashing into you with his leg and sending you sprawling to the mats. It’s amusing, to say the least.

If you have to be honest, you can feel both of their gazes. It’s making you self conscious, hence the closing of your eyes. The silence that’s been eating at the office has been deafening. It’s like all of you are just waiting for an alarm to go off about another murder, courtesy of Makishima’s new puppet, and then, as if the universe had been listening, the alarm goes off.

“ _This is an elevated Area Street Level warning! Around Shibuya Crossing in Shibuya Ward, a Psycho-Pass above the regulation value has been detected. Inspector on duty, please go straight to the site with Enforcers immediately._ ”

You sigh, eyelids fluttering open before you stand up from your chair and grab your coat from the back of it. “I’ll go,” you state, draping your coat over your left arm.

“Are you sure? I can come, too,” Tsunemori asks.

“No, no. It’s just a simple mission to arrest some guy who probably can’t cope with their job or is fuming over a breakup,” you say. “Besides, I need to be doing something. Just sitting here thinking about the Specimen Case 3.0 is driving me insane.”

“Ah, okay. But if you need backup once you’re there, don’t hesitate to call,” she says.

You smile gently, stepping out from behind your desk. “I will, don’t worry.” You turn to the Enforcers at their desk. “Well, which two of you want to join me?”

Kunizuka puts down her magazine, rising to her feet and grabbing her parka. “I’ll come.”

There’s movement from Kogami as he dog-ears a page in his book and then he’s pushing out of his chair as he stands, grabbing his jacket. “I’ll join you two.”

You frown at the book now lying on his table, walking over to it and picking it up. Kogami looks at you quizzically as you open it back up and smooth the page out, unfolding the corner. He’s just about to protest when you slip a bobby pin out of your hair. Your loose, messy updo seems to come undone just a tiny bit, but you don’t seem to care, sliding the bobby pin over the bookmarked page and shutting the novel.

“Never marr the pages of a traditional paper book, Kogami-san,” you chastise as you place the book back on his desk before turning to look at him. “They’re such rare artifacts in a digital world such as ours, we must take good care of them.”

“I had no idea you felt so strongly about paperback books, Inspector,” he replies, following you out, Kunizuka in tow.

“I collect my fair share of them,” you say off-handedly, hitting the button to call for the elevator. “There’s something very soothing about turning the pages of a traditional book. The soft crinkle of the paper, the barely present smell of them, and of course, they’re much easier on the eye than a screen.”

“I agree,” comments Kogami, entering the elevator once you and Kunizuka are in. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go through your collection some day.”

“You’re welcome to, as long as you let me go through yours,” you retort.

He wants to smile, but he stops himself, instead taking notice of your attire. “You sure about going out in those heels?” he asks.

“Excuse me?” There’s a hidden warning in your tone and your eyebrow is raised in silent disapproval. Is he really calling you out on your outfit?

“Running and combat will be difficult,” he elaborates.

“I doubt there will be much of that. If there is, I’ll have to depend on you two to do the dirty work for me. My apologies in advance,” you say smoothly, exiting the elevator and shrugging into your beige trench coat.

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s our job; it’s what we’re here for,” says Kunizuka. “You, as an Inspector, simply need to keep a watch on us Enforcers and make sure we don’t step out of line.”

You sigh, frowning at her words. “I don’t respect that policy,” you admit. “I took this job so I could bring down criminals with my own hands, not to be a glorified babysitter. I know the Sybil System refrains us Inspectors from getting our hands dirty to keep our Psycho-Pass clear, but I believe my hue would cloud if I were to sit back and let others do the work instead of taking part in it myself.” You pause to smile ruefully at the concrete beneath your feet before turning to look at Kunizuka. “Am I weird for thinking like that?”

It is Kogami who replies instead. “I don’t think it is.”

Your head snaps around to look at Kogami, who’s gazing at you with something akin to fondness and reminiscence. You’re about to ask him why he’s looking at you like that when Kunizuka speaks.

“Kogami-san used to share your ideals when he was an Inspector,” she says. “He was always kind and polite to his Enforcers, even showing respect when he believed it to be needed. He never treated us as dogs, but more as colleagues and partners. He never thought it his place to be above us Enforcers and let us do all the dirty work.”

“Kogami-san, I believe this is your cue to blush and say ‘Aww, jeez, stop it you,’” you smile wryly.

Kunizuka pauses for a second before continuing. “And now we have Tsunemori-san who also lives by those beliefs as well as you. I’d say I’m truly grateful to be able to work under such people. It’s a chance few Enforcers ever get to live.”

You’re hugging her before you can stop yourself, mumbling something about how Karanomori can take a hike because you have a newfound love for Kunizuka. She laughs into your shoulder, hugging you back before you step away to look at the man watching the two of you carefully.

“What?” he asks. “Are you going to hug me next?”

You roll your eyes. “You’re not the one who said such kind words, so no. Besides, the truck is here. I’ll meet you two at Shibuya crossing.”

You watch as they disappear into the MWPSB truck, the doors closing behind them, before walking over to your car, getting in and setting off to your destination. It takes you half an hour to reach and find a building to park in. The MWPSB truck halts in the alley behind the building, seeing as it would be better not to cause panic among citizens by letting them know there are latent criminals among them.

Kogami and Kunizuka exit, the Dominator dispenser drone detaching from the truck a moment later. It slides open with a hiss, the weapons jutting out with mechanical whir. You take one, securing it in the holster strapped to your back; it’s best to appear as normal citizens instead of carrying around guns in your hands and scaring people.

“We don’t know who our guy is, so we’re just going to have to search for them manually on foot,” you state. “Once spotted, try to take them away from the public’s eye before arresting them; we don’t want to cause a Psycho-Hazard. We’ll be assuming roles as normal citizens of Tokyo, so try not to look too much like an investigator.”

“Understood,” acknowledges Kunizuka.

Kogami simply nods, holstering his Dominator away.

“Kogami-san, I know you like to do things your own way on your own, so you can split up from us,” you say, “but if you do anything rash and end up causing a Psycho-Hazard, I will find you and personally rip you a new one.” You look over at him, smiling sweetly. “Okay?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he answers with an impish half smile.

“Good. Let’s go,” you order.

He heads off in one direction and you and Kunizuka head off in the opposite. Twenty minutes into walking around Shibuya Crossing and you find the sun setting and Kogami calling you.

“Inspector, I hope you realize this is truly pointless if they're avoiding cymatic scanners. They could be anywhere by now,” he states.

“Ah, I think I see someone suspicious,” you say so casually that Kunizuka has to replay your words twice in her head to react to it, her head jerking around wildly.

“What? Seriously? Where are you? I’ll be on my way,” comes Kogami’s suddenly alert reply.

“No, I was just joking,” you admit. “Sorry, I wanted to see your reaction.”

“Wait. See?” he questions.

You watch in mild amusement as he swivels in his spot before his eyes land on you. You wave with a cheeky smile and he frowns, making his way over to you.

“You shouldn’t play pranks like that while we’re out in the field. You should know better, you’re the Inspector,” he says.

“Kogami-san, I think we both know I’m not your typical level-headed Inspector. I took you to a sex shop, pretended you were my lover and that we were into BDSM and threesomes,” you smirk wryly. “And then I proceeded to buy Kunizuka a pair of kinky stockings for her lover. Yes, that just screams your typical class-A Inspector.”

He rolls his eyes, but he can’t argue because everything you’ve just said is true.

“Ah, but for real this time. Some blonde lady looked real skittish as she dashed into that club across the street,” you say.

“You better not be shitting me this time,” he grumbles under his breath as he follows your gaze to look at the neon-colored sign above the club.

“I’m not,” you say, moving to cross the street.

“We can’t just go in there. We’re not dressed right. We’d look even more suspicious than a skittish woman,” says Kunizuka, following you.

You bite your lip, thinking quickly for a way to blend into the crowd filing into the club. Then you grin and Kogami doesn’t like the look of it one bit. “I have an idea.”

“No,” he deadpans.

“What? You haven’t even heard my plan yet,” you argue.

He shrugs. “I don’t need to hear it to now it’s a bad one.”

“Let’s hear it,” says Kunizuka anyway.

“First, let’s move to a less crowded street. I need to change,” you state.

“What? How are you going to change in the middle of a street? You don’t even have a change of clothes,” Kogami inquires disbelievingly.

“You’ll see,” you smile mischievously. “Or rather, you won’t see.”

You find the deserted alley from earlier before handing Kunizuka your coat and ordering Kogami to look away. Kunizuka holds your coat up protectively like a curtain as you slip out of your blazer, shirt and bra. You strap your holster back on over your bare skin and then button your blazer over it, leaving you in just a black blazer, matching fitted pants and black heels. You let Kunizuka know you’re done and she lowers your coat, wrapping it around your shirt and bra.

Kogami turns to look, finding you unravelling your hair from it’s updo to let it cascade over your shoulders, drawing attention to the expanse of exposed skin of your chest. You do look fit for a club now, especially now that you’re sweeping a deep red lipstick over your lips that Kunizuka has courtesy of Karanomori.

“This is your plan?” Kogami asks, an eyebrow raised.

“Yes,” you reply. “I’ll go in while Kunizuka-san, you stay at the main entrance and Kogami-san, you station yourself at the back exit. If this lady really is the cause of the elevated Area Stress Level, then I’ll approach her and try to get her to come willingly with me. But as is the case in most situations, she’ll try to resist or flee, which is why you two have the exits. Okay?”

“Understood,” says Kunizuka, leaving your clothes with the MWPSB truck.

Kogami nods in acknowledgment and then the three of you are off. He peels off several meters away from the club, searching out the back exit while you enter the club, Kunizuka casually loitering outside.

It’s dark and loud inside, music blaring from speakers that are probably bigger than your body. Coloured lights illuminate as much as they can, but it’s not enough to make out a face that's more than ten feet away, so you switch to scouting the entire place as inconspicuously as possible. Ten minutes later and you have no luck, calling both Kunizuka and Kogami to check in with them, only for them to inform you no woman with the description you’d given had left.

You’re just about to call off the plan when you realize you’ve left the bar unchecked. That’s when you see a familiar head of blonde chugging a glass of golden liquid like there’s no tomorrow. You make your way over to her, tapping politely on her shoulder before smiling as genuinely as you can.

“Hi, I’m so sorry to disturb you,” you begin as she glares at you. “But I couldn’t help but notice your mood seems be down. Do you mind if I check your Psycho-Pass?”

“What? Who do you think you are to ask such a thing of me?” she demands haughtily.

You keep the smile on your face despite her rude tone. “I’m part of the MWPSB. If you resist a Psycho-Pass check, I’ll have to forcibly scan you.”

“Part of the MWPSB, hah?” she frowns, looking down at you. “Where’s your badge? Or are you just making this up to take me for a ride? You know, I’ve had it to just about here with people taking advantage of me and I will not have…”

She trails off as you withdraw your badge from your pocket, discreetly showing it to her. She pales, her mouth dropping open and then she abruptly shoves you away, dashing for an exit.

You curse under your breath, calling both Kogami and Kunizuka. “She’s heading for an exit. Be on your toes.”

She runs haphazardly through the club before deciding on the back exit and sprinting for it, pushing her way through the crowd. She bursts through the door and Kogami is waiting, Dominator at the ready. He’s about to shoot when you scream.

“Kogami, no! Don’t shoot,” you yell, charging out the door and into an alley.

He hesitates and you take your momentary advantage, slamming the weapon out of his hands on your way out before chasing after your woman. She’s not very fast, and that’s saying something when you’re running in heels, so you catch up to her in no time, your hand wrapping around her wrist. She whirls around, jerking backwards and you abruptly let her go, causing her to lose balance and fall backwards. The pure panic in her eyes makes you take a step back, raising your hands to show you have no weapon and mean no harm.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” you say calmly, almost soothingly. “I just want to talk.”

“Stay back! I didn’t do anything wrong,” she screams. “I-If anything, I’ve been wronged.”

“It’s okay,” you assure her, crouching to the ground to get down to her level. “Like I said, I just want to talk. You can talk, too, and I’ll listen. Let’s have a healthy conversation so I can understand how you’ve been wronged and get you the help you need.”

“I-I…” she stammers. “It’s not my fault. It’s all his fault. He did this to me! He left me! All I ever did for him was be the perfect girlfriend and somehow that wasn’t enough. I thought he was happy with me, but no! He had to go fuck some other chick because for some reason I wasn’t enough.”

“I understand. It’s not fair when you give someone your all and they throw it away for something else,” you say compassionately

“Why wasn’t I enough?” she continues. “Why did he leave me for that bitch? She’s not even as pretty as me. I gave so much more to him than she ever has. He should just go die and so should that bitch.”

“You don’t mean that,” you argue.

“No, I’ll feel so much better if they’re dead,” she disagrees, eyes going even wider. “I’ll kill them. Yes, I’ll kill them. If they’re dead, I-”

“ _No, you won’t_ ,” you say with a strength that shuts her up. You hold her gaze with one so magnetic, she can’t look away. “You’re going to come out of this better than you ever were. You are not going to go down this rabbit hole or you’ll never have a chance to show this man everything he missed out on. Don’t you want that? Don’t you want him to repent for the hurt he’s caused you?”

“I-I do,” she agrees softly.

“Good. And how are you going to do that?” you smile gently.

“I… I don’t know,” she admits.

“That’s okay,” you assure her. “That why I’m here to help. You’re going to work on yourself and focus on you instead of devoting all your time and energy on him. You deserve so much more. He does not define you, nor has he ever. Blossom into the person you are truly meant to be. Show him everything he could’ve had, but ended up losing. Doesn’t that sound better than spiraling down the rabbit hole meant for latent criminals and ending up isolated for the rest of your life? It’s almost like letting him win. You don’t want that, do you?”

She shakes her head slowly, her eyes still fixed with yours. “No.”

“Good,” you smile, rising to your feet. “Will you take my hand?”

She nods, finally calm, taking your outstretched hand allowing you to pull her up. You smooth her hair over her head, tucking a lock behind her ear comfortingly.

“You’re beautiful, inside and out. Don’t ever forget that and don’t let anyone tell you different,” you say softly.

“Thank you,” she smiles.

“Now, I’m so sorry, but this is protocol and I have to handcuff you,” you say, taking a pair of handcuffs out from your pocket. “I promise you they’ll be off as soon as possible. You’ll go to therapy and remember to work on yourself for yourself and not for anyone else. Become a better version of you.”

She nods in understanding, offering her wrists to you. You secure them in the cuffs before leading her to the truck and sitting her down on the seating area. Kunizuka and Kogami follow you in, the former keeping her company as you walk out and the doors shut behind you. The truck pulls out and you finally allow yourself a sigh of relief, throwing your head back to look at the stars twinkling into existence against the dark sky.

“Say, Shogo, am I charismatic enough now?” you ask aloud, letting your voice get lost to the night air.

 

* * *

 

It’s only when you arrive at Headquarters do you realize your attire. You can’t even wait around for the MWPSB truck for your clothes which are with Kunizuka since it has to make a stop at a Rehabilitation Facility first, so you decide to just head up alone in your current state.

“Ah, [Last Name], you’re back,” Tsunemori greets when the doors to the office slide open. Her eyes meet your form and her eyebrows rise against her forehead. “Nice outfit.”

“It’s a long story,” you explain. “You’ll have my report by tomorrow. Right now I should start making dinner. It’s half past seven.”

“We could just get something from the cafeteria,” suggests Tsunemori.

You wrinkle your face in disgust, stopping in front of her desk. “I prefer homemade food. Tastes much better. Come on. You’ve been working long enough. Time to take a break.” You turn to Ginoza, who seems to be the only other one in the office. “You, too, Ginoza-san. You’re welcome to join us at my place. Either way I tend to make more than I’m supposed to.”

“Thank you,” he says, sharp eyes meeting yours, “But I’ll pass. You two enjoy instead.”

“Oh, come on, Ginoza-san. It won’t harm you. We’re not such bad company,” you say.

“I have a dog to go home to. I’ll be just fine,” he says flatly.

“Ah, Dime, right?” you ask. “Tsunemori told me about him. I’ve been dying to meet him. You know, I could put in a special request to let him leave your dorm and come to mine. Don’t you think he’d be happy with a change of environment?”

Ginoza crumbles at that; he’s willing to do anything for the happiness of Dime. “Fine, but I won’t stay long.”

“Perfect!” you beam. “You know my room number and floor. Come over as soon as you want.”

Tsunemori has gathered her belongings by now, standing by your side as you converse with Ginoza. You bid farewell to him and then the two of you leave.

“Do you think I should call the rest?” you ask as you make your way to the elevator. “Do you guys usually do dinner gatherings?”

She shakes her head, smiling. “No, we don’t, but when Kagari-kun was alive, I used to sometimes visit his quarters for dinner. He was an amazing cook, just like you. I don’t know if the others used to, but we never used to collectively go together.”

“But…” you begin. “Isn’t that a bit sad?”

“How so?”

“In the sense, Division One only interacts with each other only for work, but outside of it we act as simple acquaintances,” you elaborate, entering the elevator. “Don’t you think that’s a bit of a waste of knowing a person as intimately as we know our colleagues.”

“I guess, but not many share our views of treating Enforcers like normal colleagues,” says Tsunemori.

You shrug as the elevator doors slide open and you step out. “Fuck them. I’m throwing a house party.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how Makishima's winning trait is his charisma? Looks like the reader has it too.  
> Also Kunizika is my bae.


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the change to an explicit warning says enough. SMUT. YES. WE GETTING DOWN TO THE DIRTY.  
> We've got some very explicit scenes here, in loads of detail cause I couldn't help myself. You've been warned.

Karanomori sighs, blowing out a puff of smoke from her spot on your couch. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been to something like this. I think the last time was with Shu-kun.”

“You’re talking about Kagari-san, right?” you confirm. “He sounds wonderful, to be honest, in an energetic sort of way. I would’ve loved to meet him.” You’re sitting on the floor next to Ginoza’s legs, making kissy faces at Dime. He has to admit, you’re pretty damn amusing when you’re around dogs.

“Energetic is an understatement,” Kunizuka says from her spot next to Karanomori. “I think you would’ve gotten along with him well.”

You stop petting Dime for a moment and he whines, pushing his snout into your face. You nearly melt. “Ginoza-san, please let me keep him. I promise to take him out for daily walks and let you meet him whenever you want.”

“Not a chance,” he replies, sipping elegantly from his flute of wine.

“So mean.” Just then Dime thinks it best to just mow you down and lap at your face and you happily accept it, your back hitting the floor with a thud as you laugh gleefully. Kogami thinks he’s never seen a sight more pure or you laughing so heartily.

“Ah, [Last Name], I think the gyoza is nearly golden,” Tsunemori calls from the kitchen.

“I do not have the willpower to get this precious angel off of me,” you state flatly.

“Dime,” Ginoza says simply, and the Siberian husky retreats, sitting obediently next to the sofa his owner is seated on.

You get to your feet, padding over to the stove where a pan sits, little dumplings sizzling pleasantly against the metal. You turn the heat off, sliding the dumplings onto their own plate next to the rest of the food.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d make so much,” Tsunemori comments.

You shrug, picking up two plates to take to the living room. “There’s never such a thing as too much food.”

She helps you transfer all the food from the kitchen island to the coffee table in the midst of the couches where Division One is lounging. There’s gyoza, takoyaki, bulgogi, spiced chicken wings, an assortment of sushi, croquette, inarizushi and pork filled spring rolls.

“My, my,” sings Karanomori, “[Name]-chan, you’d make such a good housewife.”

You wrinkle your face in disgust. “I don’t think I’d ever be caught dead ending up as a housewife. I love my freedom too much.”

“Eh? So, you don’t want to get married?” she asks.

You smile and Kogami notices it’s almost rueful. “To be honest, I don’t think I see marriage in my future.”

“Why not?” she prods.

“Becaaaaauuuse,” you say, dragging out the word as you move to the fridge, “I have alcohol in its place.” You pull out a bottle of wine. “Who needs a refill? Or is it time for something harder?” You procure a bottle of vodka.

“Oh, [Name]-chan, don’t tell me you’re trying to get us all drunk?” Karanomori grins.

“Ah, you’ve discovered my ultimatum,” you smirk, finally deciding on simply taking both bottles to the table.

“Be warned,” Kogami says with a subtle smile. “Gino is a light weight.”

“Am not,” Ginoza protests.

“Are too,” Kogami and Tsunemori say in unison.

“Ginoza-san!” you beam. “I see your glass is empty. How about some vodka?”

“No, thank you,” he declines politely. “I’m not too fond of it.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I also have some whisky and scotch,” you grin devilishly. “Pick your poison.”

Ginoza pales, realizing your intent to get everyone quite positively drunk and sighs in defeat. “I’ll have some whisky.”

“Good choice,” you acknowledge. “Anyone else?”

“Scotch, please,” Karanomori requests.

“Vodka,” Kunizuka adds.

“Vodka for me, too,” Tsunemori smiles.

“Scotch,” says Kogami.

“You can tell so much about a person by their choice of liquor,” you muse, trailing away to get the required bottles. This is going to be one eventful night.

 

* * *

 

“I think it’s time I take Shion home,” Kunizuka mumbles lazily when the clock ticks past two in the morning, looking at her lover who is completely out for the count, her head tossed back as she smiles blissfully.

“Ah, Kunizuka-san, do you mind if I stay the night at your place?” Tsunemori asks, her eyes barely able to stay open.

“What?” you ask, eyes snapping to her. “Why?”

“Your place is a mess, [Last Name]. You can’t sleep on the couch. You take the bed tonight. Don’t worry about me,” she replies, rising as Kunizuka helps Karanomori to her feet.

“But-” you begin.

“No buts. I’ll be fine,” she assures you, following Kunizuka to the stairs.

“[Name]-chan,” Karanomori sings drowsily. “Thank you for this. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Let me give you a kissshh.”

A corner of your mouth quirks in amusement, but you move over to her all the same, letting her plant a sloppy kiss against your cheek.

“Such a shame Gino left already,” she sighs with a pout. “I really thought you could bang him tonight.”

Kunizuka deadpans and Tsunemori nearly chokes on her own saliva. Then Karanomori is being carted away before she can say anything more, Tsunemori following them out. You sigh, shaking your head with a wry smile as you make your way back down the stairs.

Kogami is still draped over a single-seater sofa, his head resting against its back with his eyes closed. You drag your feet over to him, stopping behind the chair and leaning over it to peer down at him. You plant your hands on either side of his head and his eyelids slide open.

“Oi,” you say flatly. “Everyone’s left. Time for you to go home.”

He simply blinks at you and you frown back in your drunken stupor until he hoists himself upwards and meets your lips with his in an upside down kiss. You kiss him back for a moment before pulling away.

“What are you? Spider-Man?” you smirk.

“Who’s Spider-Man?” he asks.

“You’re dead to me,” you deadpan, straightening up and moving away.

“No, seriously,” he says, getting up and following you as you go about collecting the dirty dishes and empty glasses. “Who’s Spider-Man?”

“Just a comic book superhero from the 1960’s,” you explain, dumping the dirty dishes in the sink and placing the still full bottles into the fridge.

“That reminds me,” he says casually. “You going to show me your paperback collection?”

You turn to look at him, fixing him with an arched eyebrow. “Now?”

“Why not?” he shrugs.

“Because we’re both not in a state to really go through a bunch of novels,” you retort. “But if you really want to…”

You pad over to your room, waving at him to follow you as the door slides open. You don’t bother to turn on any lights, seeing as the city lights streaming through the window is enough, and move to a door, sliding it open to reveal a seven-foot tall bookshelf built into the wall. It’s stacked to the brim with books and even comics. Kogami has to take a minute, forcing his alcohol impaired mind to focus. You allow him to take his time, moving to your bathroom to brush your teeth and change into your pyjamas.

By the time you’re done, you find him with an edition of Spider-Man in his hands, his fingers idly flipping through the pages. You lean against the wall next to the bookshelf, watching him as he places it back and crouches down to go through the rest of your collection.

“Find anything you like?” you ask softly, smiling in barely concealed amusement.

“I’m not sure. It’s a little overwhelming for my mind at this moment,” he replies, standing tall again and sliding the door shut.

You hum in acknowledgment. “I’m not surprised. You ready to head home?”

He ignores your question, stepping over to you and fingering the hem of your loose tank top. “It was a good idea to invite everyone over for dinner and get them drunk.”

“Hmm?” you say absentmindedly, eyeing his hand.

“Clever way to get our minds off the case,” he elaborates, moving in even closer.

“Yeah? You think it worked?” you ask, meeting his gaze. His eyes shine even in the dim light and the intensity of them has your breath catching in your lungs for a moment.

“Yeah.”

“No, it didn’t. You’re still thinking of it,” you remark, hand rising to toy with the top most button of his shirt. “Maybe you need more booze.”

“Don’t worry,” he says, the hand playing with your top moving around your waist. “My mind will be off it soon enough.”

He kisses you and the force of it has you clutching at his shirt, pulling him flush against your body. He goes easily, lining up his hips with yours as he snakes both arms around your hips, hoisting you up. Your legs wrap reflexively around him, hands threading into his hair. You’re both so eager for this, your liquor influenced minds screaming for more, more, more. More skin, more heat, more touch, more of each other.

You’re aware of him moving to the bed and then you’re unceremoniously thrown down onto the sheets. Your fingers work his buttons as he reconnects your lips, tongues clashing. You taste of mint and it’s such a welcome invasion to the aftertaste of scotch. His shirt is jerked off his shoulders and he does the rest, slipping out of it before his hands are back on your body, sliding under your top and setting fire to your skin. It’s brought to his attention you’re not wearing a bra when his fingers glide over your breasts and connect with a nipple, causing your to shudder underneath him with a soft gasp.

Your voice is a drug, he realizes as he works his fingers around your chest, extracting the softest of heady sighs from you. His lips are moving down your neck now and your nails dig into the bare skin of his back. The sudden pain is welcomed, loved even, by Kogami as he growls into the base of your throat, a sound so feral you shudder once again beneath him. He continues to push your top up until you’re rid of it, leaving your flesh exposed to him.

You do not shy away from him or try to cover yourself from his hungry gaze, instead meeting it unabashedly, bravely even. His hand moves to the small of your back and then his lips are back on your skin, kissing, nipping and sucking their way down your chest. You arch when his hot mouth encloses around a nipple, a short, clipped moan escaping you, but it’s still not enough for him.

His hand travels low, dipping past and under the waistband of your panties. The noise that rips from your lips when he rubs slow circles over your clit can only be described as purely sinful. Your fingers press into his back, nails digging into flesh and drawing blood; you can smell the copper in the air before your senses register the wetness under your fingernails. Your hips buck when he spreads your folds to dip a single finger into you, curling and withdrawing before adding another finger, igniting your insides with a force unlike any other.

He kisses down your stomach, over the curves of your abdominal muscles before pausing just above the waistband of your sweatpants. His fingers stop their ministrations, hand slipping out from your clothes and then he tugs, ridding you of them. Cool air hits your skin and he watches as goosebumps arise. His eyes dart to yours and he finds you watching him, lids drooping and lips parted. You’re a sight to marvel at.

Kogami’s head dips to your sex and he feels your hands dive into his hair, tugging harshly. He groans into you and you bite your lip to keep your moans in, but he wants to hear you, hear the fruit born from his labor. His hands press into your thighs, keeping your legs spread as he laps at you hungrily, greedily, overwhelmingly. It’s all too much now and you find yourself peaking, your back arching off the bed as utterly obscene moans slip out your mouth.

“Kou-,” you gasp, voice high and needy. “Please-”

His hands grip your legs tighter, his tongue pushing into you relentlessly as you shudder uncontrollably above him before finally climaxing, a guttural moan ripping from your lungs. He rides it out, his mouth still working until your back meets the mattress once again, your chest heaving violently.

You’re an absolute mess at this point and Kogami sits back on his heels to regard his work. You’re impossibly stunning, he concludes. Your skin is slick with the sheen of sweat and it catches the light at just the right angle, casting a subtle cascade of shadows across the rest of your body. Your hair is matted to your forehead and the rest of it fans out against the pillow. You’re still catching your breath when he begins to unbuckle his belt, moving to his pants next. He leans over you once his clothes are off, stealing the air from your lungs again with heated kisses. However, before he can go any further, you’re splaying your hands against his chest.

“I can’t,” you gasp, looking up at him with a gaze that lets him know you’re at your limit. “Kogami, I can’t.”

He hoists himself off you by a bit, watching you as you get your words out.

“I’m sorry,” you continue. “I’m so sorry.”

He rolls onto his side, collapsing next to you. “You know you don’t have to apologize for such a thing?”

You shift, turning to face him. “Well, I am the only one who got anything out of this. I just thought it’s unfair.”

He sighs, wrapping his arms around your form and pulling you flush with him. He can feel your heart still hammering in your chest against his and your breathing is still ragged. “Oh, don’t worry. I got something good out of this, like those obscene noises you were making.”

You flush ever so slightly, but he finds you wrapping a leg around his hips, getting comfortable in his arms. Your arms wind around his shoulders, your hands settling at the nape of his neck and into his air as you rest your head against the curve between his neck and shoulders. You press a kiss into his collarbone.

“Just shut up and sleep,” you finally say. “Before I kick you out.”

He chuckles and you can feel the tremors of it against your abdomen. “Yes, Ma’am.”

 

* * *

 

When Kogami wakes, he finds you sitting upright next to him, your gaze fixed on the window and the city outside. The smooth skin of your back is exposed to him and he lifts a hand to stroke a finger down the ripples of your spine. Goosebumps erupt against your flesh and you sit up straighter in reaction, your skin leaving contact with his fingertip. You turn your head to look at him, arms perched over your bent knees.

“Morning,” you whisper, regarding him with a gentle gaze.

The blanket drapes around his body, stopping short just below his chest. His hair sticks up in every direction humanly possible and leaves you wanting to thread your fingers through it. He resigns himself to watching you; the way your shoulders rise and fall with each breath, the way the rising sun makes your skin glow, the way your hair is mussed and looks absolutely enticing.

“Morning,” he finally murmurs. “How long have you been up?”

You reach out a hand, finally giving in to the desire to smooth his hair out of his face, even if it won’t listen to you. “Not long.”

His arms snakes around your waist and then you’re dropping, hitting the mattress with a soft thud. “We don’t have work for a while. Sleep some more.”

You frown as you look up at him. “Says the man who gets literally four hours of sleep a day.”

“That’s besides the point,” he says.

You sling a leg around him, shifting until you’re straddling his hips. You rise into a sitting position and his hands come to rest at your hips. He has to appreciate the fact that you’re so comfortable in your skin, not bothering with the fact that there’s nothing covering your upper body and leaving everything for his eyes to feast on.

You catch his gaze on you and smirk. “See something you like?”

“You know I do.” His hands travel up your sides, pausing just under your chest. His brows furrow and his eyes darken. Then his fingers are ghosting over your skin, hovering over the scar you’d acquired during your recent abduction.

You lean forward, effectively taking his attention off your battle scars as you capture his lips in a slow, lazy kiss. He doesn’t mind the change in scenery, his eyelids sliding shut as he kisses back, his hands returning to their spot at your hips. Memories from the previous night flood your mind as he kisses you; his lips trailing down your body, his breath hot on your skin, his mouth on places that had your back arching off the mattress.

His kisses slowly turn more demanding and his hands press firmer into your flesh. You respond by grinding your naked hips against his. He freezes under you, your actions coming as unexpected, before his hands slide to your ass, squeezing teasingly.

He breaks away, regarding you with a look that screams feral hunger. “You know, if we continue like this, I can’t promise I’ll be able to hold back.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” you smile devilishly as you gyrate against him again, watching him bite back a groan. “Because right now, I intend to pay you back for last night.”

He’s about to ask what you mean when you lift your hips, moving lower on the bed, all while trailing gentle, butterfly kisses down his chest and stomach, kisses so light he could call them teasing. His breath hitches when you press a kiss above his pelvis and you smile cunningly. You’re kneeling between his legs now and Kogami knows the answer to his unspoken question, especially when you rest a hand at the base of his cock.

He has to prepare himself; it’s been way too long and he knows he’ll be extra sensitive, but nothing could’ve prepared him for the way you positively devour him.

It starts with a gentle kiss to the tip of his head and even that has him bucking against your mouth. You smile appreciatively, eyes darting up to look at him to find him watching you, eyebrows knit together and lips parted. You press your hands against his hips, keeping him down before continuing, teasingly kissing a trail down the length of his cock. Once you reach the base, your tongue darts out, dragging agonizingly back up his length only for you to slowly begin to take him into your mouth.

He groans out as you swirl your tongue around his head, the sensation of your lips and tongue a little too much for him to take and suppress the noises his body wants to let out. Then you’re moving your head lower, taking him deeper into your mouth. His hands find their way to your head, tangling into your hair as he pulls. He needs some kind of anchor to grip when you’re just about undoing him to his very core.

He watches as your head bobs until you release him with a very obscene and wet pop, placing a kiss against his sensitive tip as you look up at him darkly. He shudders unconsciously, unable to stop himself from doing so when the look you’re giving him is downright sinful. Then you’re back at it, kissing, licking and sucking to the best of your abilities, drinking in every groan, moan and sigh that escapes his lips and using it to find what makes him unravel the most, which spots have him bucking helplessly and which actions have him saying snippets of your name, too lost in sensation to get it out in one full go.

A very shattered version of your name finally escapes him and you know he’s close, working whatever part of his shaft your mouth can’t take with your hand. A tremor courses through his body and you release him, pumping his length with your fingers as he climaxes, spilling onto his stomach and chest. You ride it out until the last of his spasms subside, leaving him panting against the sheets.

You regard your handiwork, Kogami slack against the mattress, his hair clinging to his forehead, his chest heaving and his skin glistening with slick sweat. You’ve never seen him this vulnerable, nor do you think such a situation would arise for you to see him like this otherwise. You lean forward, pressing a fleeting kiss to his lips and then slide off the bed.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he finally finds it within himself to say.

“For a bath,” you reply, pausing in the doorway to the bathroom, turning to look at him.

You’re gloriously naked and basking in the warmth of the sun, golden rays rippling over the planes of your body. Kogami has to take a moment to soak you in, staring unabashedly as he commits your image to memory.

“See something you like?” you smirk.

“You know I do,” he replies, matching your sly grin with one of his own.

You disappear into the bathroom, only to reappear moments later. “You going to join me or what?”

He can’t help himself when he chuckles, slipping out of bed in all his smoldering nakedness and following after you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. A cute, happy house party and everyone gets to see how adorable you are around dogs and everyone gets drunk.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a comment below if you did. Feedback is always appreciated!


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